exhaust hoses around rudder repair

Im doing a repair on my rudder port, the fiberglass was soaked and damaged inside around rudder. My question is if the area that is cleaned off (removed bad glass and paint around the area which is shown in the picture) around the port, large enough to properly do the repair job? Or should I remove the exhaust hoses and glass over the entire area?

Hi Pete,

I'm a little confused on how to proceed. I just tried to get the hoses off but could not. I don't think I can get them off without having to replace the hoses. Probably will have to cut them out. Which might not be a bad thing because they look a little worn. A lot worn.

If you notice in the pic there was not any wood, it is a composite piece and it is about the same size as the brass top plate. Both pieces are zip tied in the picture.

So I'm wondering if with the little area I have if I can just re-fiberglass the composite piece and then glass everything over within the hoses. SO the total glass area would be maybe 16" or so...Or if I decided to replace the hoses, grind it all down, and re-fiberglass the entire area, so the over all span port to starboard would be wider. Either way not including any wood.

My other issue is I couldn't get the tiller arm off the rudder, that's why it is still in the photo. I suppose at this point if I re-bolt the rudder and remove the gas tank I maybe able to carefully hit it out with a hammer with the help of some grease.

In the end if I can do this with out removing the hoses and gas tank that would be ideal as long as it is done properly.

Im not sure what the material is. Yes I tired to gently pry it but was afraid of breaking it because its brass. I did remove the bolt.

Good to know, if I can pry it I wont have to re-bolt anything. I don't have a pic right now but there are a few spider cracks and was leaking out of one of the bolts and left a brown stain.

sorry. If I can pry the tiller and remove it, the port housing and rudder will drop through the hull. If I wasn't able to pry it, then I would have to re-bolt the port housing to the hull and tap the rudder off the tiller.

ill give it a shot tomorrow, hopefully I can get it off. After that any thoughts on how to proceed with the repair?

Alright ill rip everything out, grind my square corners down to round edges and then over kill the re-fiberglass patch. thanks

Brian,
You mentioned the fiberglass was soaked in your first post and then again above. Fiberglass typically does not get wet unless it's delaminated. Were the layers of glass separated or was ther more of the composite you mentioned?

EDIT: Is there old gas and oil in the wet too?

Brian,
Composites are used to reinforce stress areas just like wood and evidently that was the method American Skier used. I would suggest putting CPES'd plywood back in BUT you MUST get the area completely clean and ground down to good glass. We can go on from there.