Three aluminium rudder issues

[Astro2]

Maybe too large for one post but will see how it pans out. Hope for some words of wisdom

1. I want to remove an aluminum rudder for repair work (needs an anode for a start). Removed the wheel cabling system in lazarette but has a hinge on the actual rudder (see pic). Recent sanding has revealed 3 metal pins (see pic). Do I keep sanding to remove the hinge or is there a more obvious method. How are the pins removed?

2. There is no emergency tiller on this 35' Adams so I need to construct one. The rudder spindle is inside the lazarette. In complete ignorance I will build a shaft to mount on top of spindle (see pic) but has to rise about 75 - 90 cm to gain clearance of the deck mounted wheel. Is there better way? (another design fault is the main traveller is just in front of wheel) leaving another obstacle for the tiller to work around).

3. There is a crack in the brown filler on skeg adjacent to rudder (fillet seen in photo but crack out of scene). Old filler but hard to get to. Any idea of a replacement filler I could use to repair?
Good sailing