Because existing ships cover a range of stern bearing designs, the paper starts with a brief history of the development of stern bearings and an evaluation of existing designs. It then discusses the relative energy losses in different types of bearings and some interesting experiences. Next consideration is given to alignment and how oil lubricated bearings handle balanced loads and moment loads. The paper concludes with considerations of procedures for minimizing the problems of oil lubricated bearings working in water and a suggested process for eliminating intermediate struts.