fastfuture

I have a 1995 scarab 22sc with a 5.7L merc on alpha 1.
The swivel pin in the transom steering assembly failed following a mooring accident........oops, water entered the hull and the boat was found semi submerged. Turns out the pin was badly worn, but this was undetectable at annual service due to the fact that the engineers dont usually take off the transom shield unless theres a visible or reported problem. I had'nt noticed any water ingress, the bilge was dry every time i came to use the boat. According to the engineer it was an intermittent leak, they had the engine out and left the boat in the water for a few hours and found no water getting in. But later when the engine was reinstated we turned the steering wheel back and forth and found a small tricle of water coming in. My question, has anyone had a similar experience with this setup, apparently the pin is supposed to be sealed for life, in 1998 merc changed back to the greased version. Im fairly annoyed due to the fact that my insurers refuse to pay out claiming wear and tear. If i had spotted a problem i would have sorted it.