FWIW the man who surveyed our new old boat said a small seepage was
normal; that if you tighten the gland more it'll just wear faster.

If you have a normal old fashioned stuffing box arrangement, then you want a
little drip while the shaft turns. There is some dispute whether you want it
to drip at rest though. Some people say no. Others say you want a very slow
leak so that the salt water doesn't lay stagnant against your stainless steel
shaft and eventually corrode it.

Typically I compromise. I ignore it until the at rest drip rate gets too
high for comfort, then I tighten it down just to where it doesn't drip at
all. As I use the boat it wears and starts to drip a little at rest which is
ok with me -- just not a lot.

Don't ask me the difference between a little and a lot though. It's based on
how busy I am with other things, and how often the bilge pump runs. Once or
twice a day I'm comfortable with. More than that it starts to bother me.

Good luck with the new boat....

Bill