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Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Fishing the Great Barrier Reef

UPDATE 2022: KEKOA is no longer offering these charters from 2022. We are now concentrating exclusively on our Cairns giant black marlin season. Thank you for your interest!
56 Foot O’brien Boatworks
LONG RANGE EXPLORING

KEKOA is a great boat for remote live aboard adventures. In fact, that’s exactly what she was designed for. Long range exploring!

Captain Luke Fallon has always been a trailblazer. In 2008 he envisioned the market for a game boat (as mothership) in the rivers of the Gulf of Carpentaria fishing out of two custom built tenders and the idea for KEKOA 56 was born. She was specifically built for these types of long-range and self sufficient adventures – and 9 very successful seasons in the Gulf later, she has proved her suitability!

Along the way we have also had some very successful east coast explorations fishing Princess Charlotte Bay and the Flinders Island Group in the north, to Holmes and Flora Reefs in the east off Cairns, as well as the remote reefs of the Coral Sea including (to name just a few) Saumarez Reef, Frederick Reef, Wreck Reef, Kenn Reef and Cato Reef.

Cruising and fishing where you are almost always the only boat in sight!

 

In late October 2017 we undertook a two week exploration specifically of these southern reefs and see enormous opportunity in these more largely less fished areas. Further afield these reefs get far less human pressure, which suits the adventure fisherman!

What did we find on our big adventure? Footballs field size schools of XOS yellowfin tuna, wahoo and dogtooth tuna that have never seen a lure, bottom and reef fish and blue, black and striped marlin!

As well as gorgeous reef and sand cay anchorages providing safe shelter in any weather conditions and pristine waters as far as the eye can see!

KEKOA is built in B survey (and one of the few in our fleet that is!) which means that we can venture further afield to give you the remote adventure you have been looking for!

Contact us to create a Coral Sea Adventure itinerary today!

Coral Sea North

The Coral Sea extends 2,000 kilometres down the Queensland coast and extends beyond the traditional boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

If you are looking cast a line where few have gone, a remote Coral Sea adventure is for you!

The Coral Seas’ boundary lies outside the the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park’s outer reefs such as the Ribbons Reefs, Myrmidon Reef, the Swains Reef group and down to Lady Musgrave Reef.

In North Queensland, its extends beyond where the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ends – and we can get much more remote. Off Cairns we are talking about reefs such as Holmes and Flora Reefs, and Flinders Reef down towards Townsville.

Coral Sea South

The most southerly point of the Coral Sea is the top of Breaksea Spit at Fraser Island.

From the Hervey Bay (Fraser Island), Bundaberg and Gladstone areas we can access remote reef destinations such as Saumarez, Frederick, Kenn and Wrecks Reefs as well as Cato Island.

On our most recent 13 day remote coral sea adventure we did the entire group starting at Saumarez and onto Frederick, Wreck and back to Fraser Island for 13 marlin and football field size schools of XOS yellowfin tuna, wahoo and dogtooth tuna that have never seen a lure, bottom and reef fish (blue, black and striped marlin!)

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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 underwent a moderate internal refit in 2018 and the installation of a gyro stabiliser in 2018 (upgraded to the latest model in 2020) 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 second O’Brien for KEKOA’s owners having been very impressed with their previous 47 foot model. In 2018 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. For fishing at Fraser Island before, this puts new anchorages into the equation keeping us overnighting closer to the fishing!

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 exclusively with 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 2000 Series 1000HP
  • 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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