Mercruiser has an electronic engine management device called Smartcraft.

As well as monitoring all engine attributes, it can also can handle fuel
flow, rudder and trim angles, bilge ventilation, fishing data, and GPS as
well.

It does have a proprietary (4800 baud) serial plug in socket ( not USB),
that a scan tool can be hooked to, to retrieve different engine histories.

I don't know how much RAM it has, so I don't know how much history it can
store, but it does record life maximum RPM, speed, and temp.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/
"jay" wrote in message
...
I ran into someone else on the river today.. at the marina actually... who
had a sea ray a few years older than mine..
He made mention that sea ray started putting a USB port in their engine
compartment a few years ago that read the hours on the engine with some
device that the dealer would have..

Has anyone ever heard of this, or is this guy smoking crack?

-j