Patent ID: 7422495

Claim:
An operation control system for a small boat comprising acceleration displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement of an acceleration controller, and mode selection means for selecting a driving mode from a normal operation mode in which the boat cruises at a speed in response to the displacement of the acceleration controller detected by the acceleration displacement detecting means, and a low-speed setting mode in which the boat cruises at a preset low speed when a low-speed setting controller is operated, wherein the mode selection means permits the driving mode to switch to the low-speed setting mode if the displacement of the acceleration controller is zero, or small or close to zero, further comprising forward/reverse drive shift means for changing the direction of thrust generated by a propulsion unit to either forward or reverse direction, wherein the mode selection means permits the driving mode to switch to the low-speed setting mode if the forward/reverse drive shift means has been shifted to a forward drive position, and the mode selection means prohibits the driving mode from switching to the low-speed setting mode if the forward/reverse drive shift means has been shifted to a reverse drive position.