Did LNVTs Come with a Rudder Post Cutlass Bearing?

A Bit of Black Rubber can be Seen just Above the Rudder Flange

The LNVT community has reported odd bits of rubber emerging from inside the rudder post's tube.  I've seen the same thing on Nellie.  

This Large Piece of Black Rubber Came Out

of the Rudder Post Tube

In fact, the last piece of rubber to emerge from Nellie hints at what it was used for: a cutlass bearing.  The evidence?  The rubber's crenellations.

The rudder post is firmly supported on each end: at the top by a roller bearing just under the stern deck and, at the bottom, by a seat in the shoe.  Hai-O and OEY also fixed the packing gland rigidly in place (akin to the intermediate bearing on the prop shaft).  Now it appears they also included a cutlass bearing.  One thing is for sure, with all these supports the rudder post isn't going to wobble.

In a conversation with a builder I was bragging about how overbuilt our house is; double sized beams and rafters are used throughout.  He looked at me nonplussed and said, "Good engineering is about using the minimum material to do the job."  Ouch.  This statement is equally true for an LNVT's rudder post supports.

The upper and lower supports alone are enough to do the job.  Add in the extra support offered by the packing gland and the cutlass bearing really is superfluous.