Yanmar Power at the Heart of Khaos
Dickey Pacific 62 demands reliable power for adventures beyond the horizon.
Overview
When Jason Dickey set out to design the Dickey Pacific 62 named Khaos, he had a clear mission in mind: build a serious long-range explorer that could handle everything from local adventures to major ocean crossings. Reliability, simplicity, and efficiency were non-negotiable – especially when it came to the engines. Which is why Jason chose twin 150hp mechanical Yanmar diesels to power his new vessel.
The Challenge
A super-impressive design, Khaos was built for genuine adventure and boasts an impressive 4,000-nautical-mile range - enough to cruise from French Polynesia to Panama without a fuel stop. But covering that kind of distance means you need an engine setup you can trust completely. It needed to be fuel-efficient, mechanically simple, easy to service, and rugged enough to keep running in remote parts of the world - sometimes a long way from specialist technicians.
Why Yanmar?
For Jason, the choice was straightforward. “Because they’re fully mechanical - no electronics” he said. “Reliability and easy maintenance was the goal.” While many modern marine engines rely heavily on electronics, Jason wanted something proven, simple, and dependable.
Yanmar’s mechanical diesels offered exactly that - the kind of no-fuss performance and resilience needed for serious offshore cruising.
Twin Yanmar 4JH-150s
The Solution: Twin Yanmar 4JH-150s
The twin Yanmars sit low in the hull, with their sumps positioned in a way that protects the running gear even if the boat takes the ground. Their compact size means there’s plenty of space around them for easy servicing - a major advantage on a vessel of this size.
Highlights of the drive system include:
Twin 150hp Yanmar mechanical diesel engines: built for simplicity and reliability without complicated electronics.
Independent fuel supplies: 4,400 litres across separate tanks, providing true redundancy for peace of mind on long voyages.
Efficient shaft angles and variable pitch propellers: tuned to achieve outstanding fuel economy, fine-tuned using exhaust gas temperature readings.
Single engine cruising: for longer passages, Khaos can run comfortably on one engine, feathering the other propeller to zero pitch to stretch service intervals and maximise range.
Real-World Performance
Out on the water, the Yanmar-powered Khaos proved just how efficient the setup really is:
At 7.5 knots: 1 litre per nautical mile
At 8.0 knots: 1.2-1.3 litres per nautical mile
At 10 knots: 1.7-1.8 litres per nautical mile
Those numbers mean serious range, less time spent refuelling, and more freedom to explore remote cruising grounds.
Conclusion
In the Dickey Pacific 62 Khaos, Yanmar mechanical diesels have delivered exactly what Jason Dickey set out to achieve: a powerplant that’s simple, reliable, and perfectly suited for adventure beyond the horizon. For serious passagemakers, Yanmar offers the peace of mind that true mechanical reliability can deliver.
