When used on ships, the bearing is designed to run immersed in water, allowing its use outboard of the stern gland or stuffing box.
Stave bearings are also well suited to applications such as rudder shafts, where rotation is intermittent and reciprocating, rather than continuous and unidirectional.
[7] Vesconite Hilube is widely used for propeller shafts because the self-lubricating, homogeneous material has a low coefficient of friction (typically 0.10 to 0.12).
[8] Shaft vibration can be reduced with Vesconite because it can be machined to tight tolerances to achieve small running clearances.
Although small, these rubber bearings are still capable of handling a high power, even a 2,350 hp record-breaker like Bluebird K4.