BoatsExplorer 45 (Huntingford)

Explorer 45 (Huntingford)

Staysail Ketch · Long Keel · 1977–1982

A long-keeled staysail ketch designed by Stan Huntingford for stable, comfortable blue-water passage making

Designed by Stan Huntingford, built by C.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Explorer 45 (Huntingford), on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Cruising Meraki • Sailing Family

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 41 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 41
CoastalBluewater

At 1.68 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.68
LightHeavy

341 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 341
EasygoingPowered-up

12.1 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 12.1
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 35%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~78% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~97% of boats her size on file

Compared with 288 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Explorer 45 (Huntingford), as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Explorer 45 (HUNTINGFORD) is a Stan Huntingford-designed long-keel staysail ketch built by C, L Marine (Taiwan) and C&L Marine Corp (TAIWAN) between 1977 and 1982, with an LOA of 13.8 meters and a displacement of 13,607 kg. The model was also offered with a cutter rig and a MK II variant. Aboard *Cruising Meraki*, the Explorer 45 named *Meraki* completed a 2,200-nautical-mile passage from Canada down the U.S. coast and Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, then crossed to Isla Isabela. The crew later sailed *Meraki* 400 nautical miles from Isla San Francisco to Banderas Bay, Mexico, and undertook a 10-day passage from French Polynesia to Tonga.17:11 The crew addressed a low oil pressure alarm near Nuku Hiva, discovering a double-gasket issue on the oil filter.15:04 Interior renovations on *Meraki* included painting bulkheads and trim white, covering galley countertops with contact paper, and installing new low-voltage lighting.5:24 The owners installed 1,200 watts of solar power on a stainless steel arch, a 12-volt Nova Cool fridge, and replaced the 112-gallon aluminum fuel tank and 112-gallon polyethylene water tank.11:24 They also upgraded to a new Rolly Tasker jib and a C420 furler.2:13

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 16 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Explorer 45 (Huntingford) on video

Unplanned MAGICAL stop | Suwarrow, Cook Islands | Ep 120The crew stops at Suwarrow in the Cook Islands to visit with park rangers and observe coconut crabs.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyAU REVOIR French Polynesia | Ep 119The crew completes French Polynesia checkout procedures in Bora Bora before beginning a 10-day passage to Tonga.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyHUGE UPGRADES and Real time updates | Ep 118The owners of the sailboat Meraki have listed the vessel for sale while continuing to cruise Fiji.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyMarquesan Tattoos and German Chocolate | Ep 109A double-gasket error on an oil filter caused a total oil leak and engine failure on Nuku Hiva.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyWE CAN'T CHECK INTO THE COUNTRY?! | Marquesas, French Polynesia | Ep 105A cruising family completes customs check-in in Hivaoa, French Polynesia, after a 3,310-nautical-mile Pacific crossing.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyLANDFALL at LAST | French Polynesia | Ep 104The crew of the catamaran Meraki completes a 26-day Pacific crossing, arriving at Hiva Oa, French Polynesia.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyEQUATOR CROSSING | Pacific Crossing PT 4 | Ep 103The crew of the 45-ft sailboat Meraki crosses the equator after 20 days of sailing from Mexico.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyOne LAST Gorgeous SOC Anchorage | Isla San Fransisco | Ep 94A family crew sails 400 nautical miles from Isla San Francisco to Banderas Bay for a citizenship ceremony.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilySAILING TO MEXICO during COVID| BAJA California | Ep 47A family sails 2,200 nautical miles from Canada to Isla Isabela after an alternator failure nearly stopped the Mexico crossing.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyDAY ONE : Family Sailing Around the World 🌎 ⛵️| Victoria to Newport | Ep 36The crew of the 45-foot sailboat Meraki troubleshoots engine smoke and bilge flooding during a coastal passage.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyHome Before we SAIL the Open OCEAN | SAIL THE WORLD | Ep 34The 45-foot sailboat Meraki completes a seven-week shakedown cruise before departing for Mexico from Victoria.Cruising Meraki • Sailing FamilyBoat Life: Overhauling our Bilges | Preparing to Sail the World | Cruising Meraki Ep 14The crew replaces leaking fuel bladders and steel tanks with custom-built stainless steel water and fuel storage.Cruising Meraki • Sailing Family

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
34.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Staysail Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
12.1
Displacement / length
340.8
Comfort ratio
40.8
Capsize screening
1.68
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1579
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1977–1982
Units built
22
Designer
Stan Huntingford
Builder
C, L Marine (Taiwan), C&L Marine Corp (TAIWAN)

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Panda 4012.16 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed cutter with a long keel and heavy displacement, sharing the classic lines of the Baba 40
Freeing A Stuck Mast on a 1981 Panda 40 at Seaview Boatyard in Seattle, Washington0:16from Sailing Triteia
Dolphin 47 (Alden)14.30 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA heavy-displacement staysail ketch from the board of John G. Alden, built for comfortable, stable blue-water cruising
Are Windows Really a Good Idea in Hulls?3:58from Lucky Pete Sailing AQUALIBRA
Westsail 4313.08 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterAn aft-cockpit cruiser featuring a long keel and versatile rig options, including cutter, ketch, and yawl configurations
🚗 Oh, glorious tool road trip!11:10from Sail Life
Westsail 4213.08 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA William Crealock-designed long-keel cutter sharing its hull mold with the aft-cockpit 43 for heavy-weather stability
When Things Go Wrong! - Sailing from Spain to Tunisia, Part 7 | DrakeParagon Sailingfrom DrakeParagon
Cabo Rico 42 Pilot14.17 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 2005 pilothouse evolution of the Paine-designed cutter, featuring a long keel and a high comfort ratio for stable offshore
Cabo Rico 42 - Sailing Reunion1:26from Hold Fast!
Mason 4413.39 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterAn updated long-keeled evolution of the Mason 43, offered as a masthead ketch or cutter for stable blue-water cruising
A CHEAP Bluewater Cruiser Built in Taiwan? Ep 289 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Hunter Marine 45A Warren Luhrs design featuring a B&R rig and a high ballast ratio, built for performance cruising in the mid-eightiesHunter Marine 45 CCA 13-metre center-cockpit cruiser with a shallow 1.52-metre draft, designed for accessible coastal cruisingHardin 44/45A long-keeled staysail ketch redesigned from the Bounty 44, built for offshore comfort with a high displacement

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