Dickey Boats Long Range Cruiser 58

The latest release from New Zealand’s Dickey Boats takes design cues from bluewater sailing yachts and is a far cry from the company’s typical slick sporty aluminium fishing vessels, but this is a boat with a very different purpose in mind.

The Dickey Boats Long Range Cruiser 58 (LRC58) is the culmination of six years development by Dennis Harjamaa of Artnautica Yacht Design who was keen to create a fuel-efficient coastal cruising vessel that could take him around the globe.

The unpainted aluminium boat hull stretches to 17.6m, with a beam of just 4m and this flat-bottomed, very efficient hull form can reach speeds up to 11.5kts with only a 75hp diesel engine.

The vessel’s inherent stability even extends to a self-righting hull and a low displacement weight (just 14 tons) means fuel consumption is staggeringly low (around 5.7lt/h at 7kts).

When combined with a massive 3800lt fuel capacity, the bluewater cruising credentials immediately become clear, providing the Dickey Boats LRC58with a range of around 6000nm – enough to cross any ocean comfortably and then some.

Harjamaa explained one of the key elements to achieving such efficiency is the controllable pitch propeller. “There is a manually operated hydraulic pump at the helm for adjusting the pitch,” he said.

“With an exhaust gas temperature gauge, this allows the engine to be loaded up to optimum operating temperature regardless of the conditions, thus extracting the maximum mileage from every litre of fuel.”

The interior provides flexibility for clients to work with Dickey Boats and customise a layout, and requests have already come in for options such as hybrid propulsion, fast cruise ability and a lengthened wheelhouse, with a second LRC58 already in build.

Visit dickeyboats.com for more information.

DICKEY BOATS LRC58 SPECIFICATIONS

MATERIAL Aluminium

TYPE Monohull cruising yacht

LENGTH 17.6m

BEAM 4m

DRAFT 0.85m

WEIGHT 14000kg

ENGINE 75hp diesel

FUEL 3800lt

WATER 2300lt

RANGE 6000nm @7kts