Sounds like you grounded out an ignition wire. I am not 100% sure on boats, but on a car there should be a hot wire while cranking and a hot wire constant once ignition is on. The dead short could have fried a wire somewhere before it blew a fuse. What screws on the gauge were you touching it to? The tach should receive an electrical signal from the distributor/cam sensor, not sure what would happen if you dead shorted it. Hopefully that gives you some direction to look in, sorry i couldn't be of more help.
I'd also check the ignition itself, see if it is getting power and then work to the source from there.
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