Patent ID: 8801477

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller through a power transmission shaft; and a transmission that is installed at the power transmission shaft, is changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed to transmit an output of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established one of the speeds, comprising: an acceleration instruction determiner adapted to determine whether acceleration is instructed to the engine by an operator when the second speed is established; an engine speed detector adapted to detect an engine speed of the engine; a navigation acceleration detector adapted to detect a navigation acceleration indicative of a change amount of navigation speed of the boat per predetermined time; a first-speed changer adapted to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed by operating the transmission when the acceleration is determined to be instructed; and a second-speed changer adapted to change the gear position from the first speed to the second speed when the detected engine speed is equal to or greater than a first predetermined speed and the detected navigation acceleration is equal to or less than a first predetermined value after the gear position is changed to the first speed by the first-speed changer.