Northshore 34 Rudder Bearing and seal

[Stacktrav]

Hi there, I'm located in Fremantle Western Australia and own a 1997 Northshore 34. For some years now I've had a leak into the boat from what I've been told is a "reverse lip seal" on the rudder post. There is a grease point that I inject into on a regular basis which does help reduce the leak rate. When at the dock no leak is present, its only under way when there is force on the rudder that I get water pass into the bilge at a rate of about 5 liters an hour. I would like to remove the rudder, replace the seal and bearings but would greatly appreciate some direction from someone that's had experience with this task on this design yacht. I expect that the process of removing the rudder would be a destructive one and would much prefer to have the necessary parts on hand before attempting it and hopefully reduce time spent on the hardstand. I've had a couple of ship wrights and mechanical guys inspect my rudder assembly but they were reluctant to take the job on for fear of it turning into long and expensive repair. Its a top boat and has been well maintained throughout its life. I'd love to hear from anyone whose has experience with this issue.
Cheers