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I did some referencing on internet with hydraulic steering troubleshooting. Two interesting finds (could have found many more). First was a "YouTube by www.boatinghowto.com Sea Star helm unit". Shows the replacement of "O" rings in pressure relief valves. Shows the easy "fix" for leakage as well as the the "do not's" when putting back. They are not kidding when the say "count the turns of the screw". The second is a trouble shooting guideline, "www.seatechmarineproducts.com Sea Star boat steering technical reference". A more involved trouble shooting guide for steering problems than the standard owners guide. No reference to "water intrusion" lots of reference to dirt and air.

There is no voodoo with this concept. Trouble from blockage or oil bypass from failed seals (O ring). A flattened/compromised dinky little rubber ring can shut the system down. To me it is a humbling engineering feat. The turning of the wheel is both a pump and a valved flow control for movements of fluid with very simple components. All a valve is is a plunger with 3 "O" rings. Watch the YouTube video.

Garris

Tim, without seeing and trouble shooting my guess is you had either "O" ring that was slowly giving out (oil was bypassing the turning of the wheel was not allowing the fluid to the cylinder) or blockage where the fluid was not allowed to leave the opposite side of the cylinder seal. Probably the first.