[Team 1708 Dave]

The idea is excellent but not so sure about the IFI controller. Your boat with 2 diesel engines sounds like an valuable asset. One that I would be inclined to use more industrial proven technology. I'm in the process control department for a very large steel producer. Our demands would be something like what you would be expecting. I'm sure the IFI can be configured to handle the task, but To be user friendly the complete package may get very intense. If this was an shop test set or a less valuable asset I would support the IFI unit. It would be fun and challenging to see these old units have new life. There are tons of "off the shelf" controllers with any number of I/O options starting at a few hundred dollars. There small, 4 x 4 x 4, with an LCD display. They can be programmed very easy with an laptop. Then you can mount the controller in the wheel house and just use multi-conductor cable to connect to the engine room. Honeywell, Precision Digital, Moore are just a few that come to mind. Oh.. BTW.. Please don't force the generator!! It sounds like you just have some control issues. Doing that may result in a real tug-of-war replacing the generator in the engine room. Or a quick call to your friendly guys at the fire station.