Help Needed With New Bombay Co. 44 History

[TQA]

I am the happy owner of a New Bombay Trading Company Explorer 44 and would like to find out a little more about the design's history.

What I know so far

It was built in 1978 in Key Largo Florida.

The New Bombay Trading Company was owned by Ross James and Chris Petty.

I believe they may have bought the hull mould for the Explorer 44 from a Canadian Company.

The hull mould may have been for an IOR racer.

The designer is given as Maurice DeClercq. Now I don't know if he was the Canadian hull mould designer or the designer of the interior.

Any information or leads would be appreciated. Especially to Canada and what the boat might have been called there or which boatyard built it.

My boats name is Elephants Child and I too have "saitable curiosity"

[tomwatt]

BOMBAY EXPLORER 44 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com
This little guy?

[TQA]

Thats the one.

[sonosail]

Originally Posted by TQA

I am the happy owner of a New Bombay Trading Company Explorer 44 and would like to find out a little more about the design's history.

What I know so far

It was built in 1978 in Key Largo Florida.

The New Bombay Trading Company was owned by Ross James and Chris Petty.

I believe they may have bought the hull mould for the Explorer 44 from a Canadian Company.


The hull mould may have been for an IOR racer.

The designer is given as Maurice DeClercq. Now I don't know if he was the Canadian hull mould designer or the designer of the interior.

Any information or leads would be appreciated. Especially to Canada and what the boat might have been called there or which boatyard built it.

My boats name is Elephants Child and I too have "saitable curiosity"

While looking for information on Maurice DeCercq, I discovered this link:About S/Y Solitude - CALBO.DK The Stillson 44 looks suspiciously similar to your boat. Based on Canada's Cup racer 'The Spirit of Michigan'. See what you think. I left a message to this guy, but haven't heard back.
A somewhat interesting aside: Maurice DeClercq was holder of several patents for the self-tailing winch. (or a man with the same name, which seems unlikely)

[TQA]

I think you have cracked the Canadian connection for me.

The interior is different which I expected but the hulls look identical.

Thank you for the help. I am in the Grenadines at the moment and will see if Solitude is about.

[IMG]

From BOMBAY

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[IMG]

From BOMBAY

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