Thanx for splitting the thread Rob and yes the site has been helpful in sussing this out. So.... Thankyou Daryl at Think Kayaks for standing the repair to my evo rudder assembly. The repair guy (Gary with Boat Aid in Costa Mesa CA) has done an awesome job with the fix. He used a hole saw to open up the floor of the rudder box allowing access to add a filet of epoxy and carbon cloth to reinforce and further seal the hull end of the rudder shaft tube. Then used a small disc of balsa some carbon cloth and epoxy to locate and secure the top of the tube to the rudder box floor at the same time filling the access hole. Way more beef than before and minimal added weight ! My lesson learned here with my first ski= inspect everything , don't assume anyones boat no matter the rave reviews is good to go until you prove it to yourself in a comfortable place. I am quite sure all the mfgs are intent on putting out quality product. Again I commend Think for standing behind their product and helping resolve this issue.
