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Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Meet KEKOA

56 Foot O’brien Boatworks
KEKOA SPORT FISHING
KEKOA delivers a world class fishing experience while comfortably accommodating luxurious personal charters.
She is a big and beamy 56 foot O’Brien Boatworks gameboat custom built for marlin fishing on Australia’s east cost. She is kept in tip top condition with Luke well known in the industry for his boat cleanliness and maintenance.
KEKOA recently underwent a moderate internal refit and the installation of a gyro stabiliser in 2018 (upgraded to the latest model in 2023) and well as re-powering with brand new MTU 2000 Series V8 engines in 2021 mean she’s just as good now as the day she was launched!
KEKOA 56

KEKOA is the flagship vessel from the O’Brien Boats stable.

O’Brien Boats is one of Australia’s premier custom gameboat builders – in fact these boats are so popular, they make up much of the professional Cairns marlin fleet – and are known for their stable ride and performance.

KEKOA was custom built with the Cairns marlin season and long-range live aboard charters in mind. Two years of planning went into the design and build and she has only exceeded expectations!

The 56 foot was launched in March 2010. She is the third O’Brien for KEKOA’s owners having been very impressed with their previous boats. Recently she underwent a moderate refit and is looking and performing as good as ever!

State of the art electronics

KEKOA is equipped with the latest state-of-art electronics. As proud Garmin Ambassadors, we underwent a complete electronics refit in 2016 to ensure we had the latest technology at our fingertips!


Read about our recent complete Garmin electronics upgrade here.

In 2018 a Quick MC2X gyro stabiliser was installed by Gineico Marine which makes her an even more impressive and comfortable fishing platform than she already is. The gyro was upgraded to the latest model in 2023.

The gyro puts new anchorages into the equation keeping us overnighting closer to the fishing no matter where the congregation is!

KEKOA is also well equipped for all fishing styles and possibilities with an array of the highest quality fishing tackle.

For heavy tackle we fish high quality tackle including Okuma Makaira reels on custom-built Get Lured Australia rods.

KEKOA’s 56 foot design integrates luxury, quality and comfort to cater for all your individual fishing charter experiences including two ensuited guest cabins as well as separate cabins for the captain and crew. She is fully air-conditioned throughout and the added beam of the 56 foot vessel allows for a very spacious saloon and entertaining area — as well as a second entertaining area on the flybridge.


Read the KEKOA boat test in Bluewater Magazine here.

Technical Specifications
  • L.O.A. 56 Feet
  • Engines Twin MTU 8V2000M94
  • Maximum R. P. M 2500RPM
  • Transmissions TWIN DISC Quick shift transmissions 2:1
  • Maximum Speed 35 Knots
  • Cruising Speed 27 Knots
  • Main Onan Genset 17.5KVA
  • Secondary Onan Genset 11KVA
  • Diesel Fuel Capacity 4000 Litres
  • Fresh Water Capacity 1000 Litres
  • Full Garmin suite of electronics including Garmin GMAP units, Chirp sonal modules and GMR Fantom radar as well as Furuno sonar with Airmar Chirp transducer.
  • Quick MC2 X-Series anti-roll gyro stabiliser
  • Desalination Unit
  • Dual coil refrigeration
  • Eskimo ice machine
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