A marine outboard motor comprising: a gear casing ; a propeller shaft rotatable within the gear casing about a propeller shaft axis ; a drive shaft having a drive gear ; a clutch mechanism for selectively engaging the drive gear with the propeller shaft, the clutch mechanism comprising a clutch member configured to selectively transfer drive from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft; and a shift mechanism housed in the gear casing and configured to operate the clutch mechanism, characterized in that the shift mechanism comprises: a support shaft which is fixed relative to the gear casing and which extends along or parallel with the propeller shaft axis, a shift shuttle which is slidable along the support shaft and is connected to the clutch member; a shift finger which is pivotally mounted on the support shaft; and a shift rod extending through a wall of the gear casing and coupled to the shift finger by a releasable coupling such that the shift finger is pivotally fixed in relation to the shift rod about a shift rod axis , wherein the shift finger engages with the shift shuttle such that the shift shuttle is moved along the support shaft by the shift finger to operate the clutch member when the shift finger is rotated about the shift rod axis by the shift rod. a gear casing ; a propeller shaft rotatable within the gear casing about a propeller shaft axis ; a drive shaft having a drive gear ; a clutch mechanism for selectively engaging the drive gear with the propeller shaft, the clutch mechanism comprising a clutch member configured to selectively transfer drive from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft; and a shift mechanism housed in the gear casing and configured to operate the clutch mechanism, characterized in that the shift mechanism comprises: a support shaft which is fixed relative to the gear casing and which extends along or parallel with the propeller shaft axis, a shift shuttle which is slidable along the support shaft and is connected to the clutch member; a shift finger which is pivotally mounted on the support shaft; and a shift rod extending through a wall of the gear casing and coupled to the shift finger by a releasable coupling such that the shift finger is pivotally fixed in relation to the shift rod about a shift rod axis , wherein the shift finger engages with the shift shuttle such that the shift shuttle is moved along the support shaft by the shift finger to operate the clutch member when the shift finger is rotated about the shift rod axis by the shift rod. a support shaft which is fixed relative to the gear casing and which extends along or parallel with the propeller shaft axis, a shift shuttle which is slidable along the support shaft and is connected to the clutch member; a shift finger which is pivotally mounted on the support shaft; and a shift rod extending through a wall of the gear casing and coupled to the shift finger by a releasable coupling such that the shift finger is pivotally fixed in relation to the shift rod about a shift rod axis , wherein the shift finger engages with the shift shuttle such that the shift shuttle is moved along the support shaft by the shift finger to operate the clutch member when the shift finger is rotated about the shift rod axis by the shift rod. <EOS>