RPMS

Question
I have a 2005 searay Purchased and accepted delivery last year.
This will be my first full time boating year.  I just noticed  last week when cruising at about 15 mph that the starboard engine was registering slightly higher RPMS than the port engine.  On my tac gauge it was about 4 to 5 clicks.  I have asked the Marine facility to take a look at it but is this something I should be really concerned about or is it just a minor adjustment.?  Thanks>>

Answer
Hi Ray...Thank you for selecting the undersigned to reply to your question. I'm not a mechanic, so here's thought from experience.

Both engines should operate at the same rpm, so long as both throttle control levers are in the identical position. Perhaps you have a throttle cable problem, or you could have props with different pitches. You didn't mention the length of your boat or whether you have inboards or stern-drives. On inboards, sometimes the shaft logs wear unevenly causing the prop shafts to turn at slightly different speeds. Alternatively, an engine might be misaligned or a prop shaft is misaligned. If you have stern-drives, I'd check the props for slippage as in looseness.

Safe Boating
Ron