Should my rudder bearing look like this?

[Cal Ando]

I was looking at a picture I took a week or two ago when I noticed the rudder bearing looked really odd.   We bought the boat in October, I greased the bearing by the nipple and didn't notice anything odd, took it 30 miles from the Wey to the K&A and plopped it in a marina over winter Didn't visit it until after lockdown.   Then saw this!   Nothing worrying happened on our maiden voyage but it looks wrong.  Anyone any ideas what's happened and how to rectify it please?

[dor]

The grease nipple on those bearing housings should line up with a groove in the bearing.  When te rudder post is at an angle and the grease nipple is in line with the tilt, as is yours, the grease misses the groove and just comes out on the outside of the bearing.  Which is why the bearings often don't last very long as the ball race rusts.

[jake_crew]

Thats crying out for a disc of rubber sheet over the top to keep the grease in and crud out.

[Tony Brooks]

Try undoing the nuts and twisting the housing through 90 degrees. That should put the groove back in line with the nipple.