General Information
I can't help you much with the stuffing box...I have been told that the "nut" should just be tight enought to allow a drip of about 2-3 drops per hour???? As far a you stanchons, you may need to remove them and make sure the deck underneath is solid. If not, you will have to "beef" it up by reconstruction or some type of foam or resin injection. When you reinstall the stanchons be sure to use as large as feasable backing plates...a life could depend on them! As far a sealant goes, I prefer "Life-Calk", it seems to really stick to a clean surface. Hairline cracks are like gray hair, they are going to be there no matter what you do. As long as they are just "hairline" I don't think they can do much harm. If they are wide enought to let water in then I would "rout" them out with a Demel tool and seal with "Marine-Tex" If your steering cable is "frozen" you best buy a new one. If you can disassemble it, clean it up and lube it with any good marine type grease. If the cable is always getting wet, you may have to do this every year. I suggest you get ahold of a "West Marine" 2001 master catalog (westmarine.com)another excellent catalog is "Defenders"(www.defender.com)The catalogs are good for reference. Also, a very good book: This Old Boat by Don Casey Good Luck!
