With only about 22 to 30 hulls ever produced, it remains a rare and highly sought-after model on the brokerage market. At first glance, many mistake the yacht for a traditional wooden vessel due to the distinctive, molded-in plank lines on its hand-laid fiberglass hull—a design touch that perfectly bridges classic aesthetic sensibilities with the structural endurance of solid fiberglass.
Design Brief & Intent
The Explorer 45 was designed to serve as an uncompromising blue-water cruiser and long-term liveaboard. Huntingford prioritized safety, directional stability, and crew comfort over light-air speed or racing silverware. In terms of marketplace positioning, the Explorer 45 competed directly with legendary cruisers of its era, most notably the Kelly Peterson 44. While it shares a similar center-cockpit layout and double-cabin configuration with the Peterson, the Explorer 45 provides slightly more interior headroom, a wider beam, and a significantly heavier, more insulated hull layup.
Stepping below deck reveals an interior that showcases the pinnacle of Taiwanese joinery from the era. The accommodation plan is framed in solid, hand-rubbed teak, featuring hand-crafted arched spruce overheads, solid bronze opening ports, and a rich teak-and-holly sole. The layout is optimized for offshore passage-making: a secure U-shaped galley sits adjacent to the companionway, while a low walkthrough passageway on the starboard side provides safe transit to a massive aft stateroom with an ensuite head, even while the vessel is heavily heeled.
Variations & Configurations
While a few rare aft-cockpit and pilothouse versions were built to custom order, the vast majority of Explorer 45s left the Kaohsiung yard in a center-cockpit configuration. Rig options primarily fell into two categories: a staysail ketch (featuring a mainmast with a boomed, self-tacking staysail and a smaller mizzen mast aft) or a highly versatile cutter rig.
The ketch rig was highly favored for its ability to break the sail plan down into smaller, easily managed components for short-handed crews. However, many modern cruisers prefer the cutter configuration for its efficiency and simplicity when sailing upwind. Below the waterline, the hull shape is uniform across all variations, utilizing a deep full keel with a cutaway forefoot and a heavily protected skeg-hung rudder, drawing roughly 6.67 feet.
Sailing Performance & Handling
With a displacement of 30,000 pounds and a moderate sail-area-to-displacement (SA/Disp) ratio of 15.24, the Explorer 45 is not a light-air flyer. It requires a solid breeze—typically 10 to 12 knots—just to get into its stride. However, once the wind pipes up, the design's true character emerges. Its displacement-to-length (D/L) ratio of 340.75 places it firmly in the heavy-displacement class, guaranteeing massive load-carrying capacity for cruising gear, fuel, and water.
The boat's motion in a seaway is exceptionally soft and predictable. A high Brewer Comfort Ratio of 40.75 ensures that the hull punches through head seas with minimal slamming, dramatically reducing crew fatigue on multi-day passages. This offshore capability is further supported by a Capsize Screening Ratio of 1.67, which is well below the industry-standard threshold of 2.0, indicating superb resistance to rolling in extreme conditions.
At the helm, the full keel and cutaway forefoot work together to provide exceptional directional stability. The boat tracks straight for hours with minimal correction, placing very little strain on mechanical autopilots or windvane systems. The trade-off for this tracking ability is a large turning circle and notoriously challenging behavior in tight marinas, where the combination of a long keel and significant prop walk makes backing down under power an exercise in patience and strategy.
Known Issues & Triage
Owning a vessel from the golden era of Taiwanese boatbuilding requires an understanding of the specific physical degradation that occurs over forty-plus years.
- Teak Deck Water Intrusion: The most notorious challenge with the Explorer 45 is the original teak decks. C&L laid these decks over a fiberglass-encapsulated plywood core, securing them with thousands of screws. Over time, the caulking and screw bungs fail, allowing water to migrate into the plywood core. Prospective buyers should thoroughly moisture-test the decks; dry rot in the core requires a labor-intensive refit involving peeling the teak, replacing the rotten wood, and glassing over the deck.
- Encapsulated Fuel and Water Tanks: The original black iron fuel tanks and stainless-steel water tanks are major pain points. Over decades, condensation and bilge water can cause external rust and eventual pinhole leaks. Because C&L built the interior cabinetry around these tanks, replacing them usually requires cutting open the cabin sole or dismantling bulkheads, which is a major yard project.
- Gelcoat Osmotic Blistering: Like many hulls built in Kaohsiung during this period, the Explorer 45 is prone to osmotic blistering. While rarely structural due to the sheer thickness of the solid GRP laminate, addressing a badly blistered bottom requires peeling the gelcoat, drying the laminate, and applying an epoxy barrier coat.
- Chainplate Corrosion: The heavy stainless-steel chainplates pass through the deck to tie into internal fiberglass knees. Water leaking past the deck seals can cause crevice corrosion in the hidden portions of the plates, necessitating careful inspection and eventual replacement.
Modernization & Upgrades
Many Explorer 45s have been systematically upgraded by cruising owners to match modern off-grid liveaboard standards. Modernization of the DC electrical system is highly common: owners frequently replace the original lead-acid batteries with high-capacity Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) banks, often exceeding 400Ah to 600Ah, to support heavy loads like 12V watermakers and refrigeration. To keep these banks charged, stainless-steel stern arch structures are typically added to support 700 watts or more of solar panels, alongside modern wind generators.
Engine replacements are also a frequent consideration. The original Perkins 4-108 or Volvo MD21 diesels, while highly reliable when properly maintained, are often swapped out for modern, quieter, and more fuel-efficient Yanmar or Beta Marine diesels. For owners keeping the original Perkins, typical modernizations include upgrading to high-output alternators with external smart regulators, replacing old rubber-hosed exhaust systems, and installing modern dual-filter fuel polishing setups to manage fuel quality on long voyages.
The Verdict
The C&L Explorer 45 is a legendary, heavily built cruiser that offers a high level of comfort, safety, and liveaboard volume for the dollar. It is not a boat designed for light-wind club racing, but rather a reliable, sea-kindly passport to remote island chains. For a buyer willing to address the inevitable maintenance realities of a classic Taiwanese yacht, the Explorer 45 stands as one of the best "budget bluewater" values available.
Pros
- Exceptionally soft, sea-kindly motion in heavy weather with a high comfort ratio.
- Solid GRP hull layup that far exceeds modern lightweight standards.
- Exquisite, highly crafted solid teak interior with excellent headroom and ventilation.
- Superior directional tracking under sail, reducing wear on autopilots.
- Massive storage capacity and large tankage optimized for long-distance cruising.
Cons
- Sluggish performance in light winds (under 10 knots).
- Challenging maneuverability in tight marinas due to a large turning circle and prop walk.
- High risk of deck core rot on vessels with un-remedied original teak decks.
- Extremely difficult access to fuel and water tanks for repair or replacement.
