It is said that a man with a watch knows what time it is, but a man with two watches is never sure.    So it is for all mariners with dual propulsion.    I look at my RPM gauges (clocks with a counters, really) and it appears they are in sync.  But how accurate are they?   A small error of 20 rpm can increase the load on one engine 20% vs. the other.   Is the R terminal of the alternator really that accurate?   Is my synchronizer really working?   Now there's a way to be sure.   Timbolier's new fuel management system includes a precision photo-electric RPM pickup.    Much like the laser RPM tool your mechanic uses to set your idle, the Petrolier RPM pick uses a reflective Infra-Red beam to sense the speed of your engine to an accuracy of 1 RPM per 5000.   This reading is then transmitted digitally to your display for a super-accurate read-out. So Petrolier not only gives you data to optimize your fuel burn and reduces fuel costs, but also will increase the life of your engines by ensuring your balancing the load evenly over long voyages.

In the Summer of 2016, I purchased a Viking 48 in Louisianna.  My crack marine surveyor overlooked an obvious infestation of termites in two bulkheads that were critical to support of the engines.   You buy a fiberglass boat and think "Hey, it's all plastic?  What can go wrong?"   What you don't realize is how much wood is in these things.   After extensive fumigation, the heat of 1500 HP diesels running 1,000 miles home to Maryland, followed by a long, cold winter, the termites are all dead.   This event inspired me to invent Timboard -- a PVC lumber that's specifically formulated for the marine environment.