najad sailboat

Yachting Monthly

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Najad 390: A pedigree cruiser for serious sailing

• Rachael Sprot
• May 19, 2022

Thirty-nine feet is often thought of as the golden size for short-handed cruising. Rachael Sprot tests the Najad 390 to find out if it hits the mark

A deep fore-foot, encapsulated long fin keel, and rudder protected by a large skeg means the Najad 390 doesn't pound to windward. Credit: Richard Langdon

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When I was 11 my mother put her foot down: ‘We’re moving to the coast, downsizing the house and buying a sailing boat. You’re all going to learn how to sail’, she stated, matter-of-factly.

Somewhat reluctantly, we did.

Fortunately for her, my father, Edward, whose main priorities in life are toast and marmalade, Wagner and the Great Outdoors, adopted the plan with good grace.

My sister and I were less enthused. ‘You’ll be grateful for it one day’, we were told.

She found a one-off ¾ tonner, Polar Bear .

A wooden boat with a racing pedigree, she sailed like a dream, with looks to match.

The Najad 390 is easy to handle under power and to sail shorthanded. Credit: Richard Langdon

The process of dragging a landscape gardener, stroppy children and a seasick whippet sailing gave her plenty of material to write about.

She became a regular contributor to Yachting Monthly and we spent the holidays exploring the English Channel and Biscay .

For my sister and me, this involved trying to look as busy as possible to avoid the dreaded phrase ‘I’ve got a nice little job for you girls’ – aka fender-scrubbing.

To my horror, we ended up on the front cover of Yachting Monthly one month (Nov 2001), which my geography teacher took great delight in showing to the class.

So when the opportunity came to review their second boat, Pelonia , a Najad 390, I jumped at the chance.

It’s been two decades coming but revenge is a dish best served cold.

Time for an upgrade

After almost 20 years the annual ritual of sanding and painting Polar Bear lost its appeal.

The foredeck crew had flown the (crow’s) nest and they wanted a boat with more space for living on board.

Despite a huge list of upgrades which transformed the boat for cruising, it was time to look for something more comfortable.

Miranda Delmar-Morgan was one of the first women to become a professional skipper, working on large classic yachts on the Transatlantic circuit until she met her now husband, landscape gardener Edward Sprot. Together they’ve cruised in the UK, Baltic and Biscay, and she’s trying to persuade him to set off for the Caribbean. Credit: Richard Langdon

However, as Marshall McLuhan said, first we shape our tools and thereafter they shape us.

Whether they liked it or not, Polar Bear was imprinted on my parents’ sailing sub-conscious.

If you’ve ever witnessed someone else’s boat-buying process, you’ll know it’s utterly incomprehensible from the outside.

One week it must be blue with two loos, the next red with a fin and skeg. It’s a battle between heart and head and even more complicated as a couple.

Miranda’s priorities were a good sailing pedigree and classic look and feel.

The Najad 390 will easily deliver 6 knots, and her large rudder is nicely balanced. Credit: Richard Langdon

Edward, now with his own views on the matter, wanted a decent-sized bunk, plenty of headroom and better toast and marmalade facilities.

After many months of searching, Pelonia came along (red with a skeg).

Despite being 30 years old, she was immaculate and had good ocean sailing credentials.

Her long fin keel is encapsulated, the rudder is well-protected by the skeg and a deep fore-foot means she doesn’t pound to windward.

Belts and braces

The Lloyds-approved hull is single-skin laminate so there’s no foam sandwich for water to infiltrate.

The flush decks are devinyl cell making them light and strong.

Najad’s high construction standards should reduce the risk of moisture ingress here.

Flush decks are a little old-fashioned but they’re easy to move around on and give a clean foredeck area to work on.

They allow you to lash the dinghy on the foredeck instead of towing it or adding davits.

The addition of a wind generator makes the boat more self-sufficient, and a radar tower prevents too much weight up the mast. Credit: Richard Langdon

The windlass is well protected in the anchor well and the chain locker has good access from above, so there’s no need to wrestle with a muddy anchor chain inside the boat.

The shrouds are evidence of Najad’s belts and braces approach.

With fore and aft lowers there’s plenty of support and the leads are spread across three sets of chain plates.

Another feature which gives her age away is the fact that all the lines are at the mast. This has its upsides and downsides.

It came into its own during a Yachting Monthly man overboard trial when being able to control a halyard at the mast allowed a single person to manage both the casualty and the winch.

Other scenarios where it is useful not to have to go back to the cockpit would be lifting a tender out of the water at the shrouds, or hoisting the spinnaker .

High coamings on the Najad 390 makes the cockpit secure. Credit: Richard Langdon

On the other hand, you need to leave the safety of the cockpit to adjust anything on your sails, apart from the sheets.

This is a drawback if you’re running solo watches where in certain conditions it would be inadvisable to go to the mast without the other person on deck.

There are excellent granny bars around the mast and a high grab-rail leading forwards from the cockpit though.

Combined with proper gunwales and solid teak capping, you feel surprisingly secure making the journey forwards.

The rubbing strakes with their bronze coping bars, substantial stainless steel stem band and teak deck all give her a feeling of quality.

The centre cockpit positions the mainsheet behind the helm, keeping the cockpit clear and allows you to quickly sheet out in a gust.

Granny bars at the mast make line-handling easier in heavy weather. Credit: Richard Langdon

It also means that a full cockpit tent can be fitted, greatly extending the living area in wet weather.

Like many Scandinavian boats, the Najad 390 has a fixed windscreen which gives good protection from the elements.

They weren’t sure about it in the beginning, but Miranda explained that ‘We hit a standing wave off Fair Head in Northern Ireland at 13 knots, and after the green water had subsided we were impressed to find it was still there,’ so they’re quite taken with it now.

You don’t want all the Great Outdoors indoors, after all.

The cockpit is clutter-free owing to the mast-led halyards.

There’s a generous locker on the starboard side which accommodates all the lines and cruising paraphernalia.

All lines are worked from the mast on the Najad 390. Credit: Richard Langdon

The aft deck is another excellent working (or lounging) space with plenty of room for things such as a wind generator and antennas.

The stern platform on the back includes a set of swimming steps and makes it easy to get in and out of the tender.

Below decks there’s enough mahogany to satisfy the most ardent wooden boat enthusiast – the quality of Najad joinery stands out even amongst other Scandinavian yachts.

The saloon is generous and they’ve had 10 on board for dinner.

Both saloon seats convert to double bunks by lifting up the seat-back, taking her accommodation up to eight.

There are copious lockers, which makes it easy to organise stores.

A drawback of the flush decks is that despite the hull portlights and central hatch, there’s less light in the saloon than on a yacht with a coach roof.

The saloon has a generous 6ft 2in of headroom. Credit: Richard Langdon

In warmer climes it’s not an issue, you need a respite from the sun, and in colder climes she feels warm and cosy, but she’s not as bright as a modern yacht.

There is 6ft 2in headroom though, and the saloon berths are 6ft 5in long. The v-berth forwards has plenty of space beneath for sails, and generous locker space within the cabin.

‘I’m glad they haven’t put drawers under the bunk’, said Miranda. She’s firmly of the belief that the forepeak is for the sail wardrobe and not your own.

A place for everything

The forward-facing chart table has a chart locker under the deck head which is a great feature for traditionalists.

Miranda regularly reminds us that the chart table drawers aren’t half as big as Polar Bear ’s. She employs the ‘it might just come in handy’ philosophy and never throws anything away.

The compact chart table has supplementary chart stowage under the deckhead. Credit: Richard Langdon

The heads is small but adequate and scores extra points for the wet locker which is supplied with hot air from the Eberspächer.

As with most centre cockpit yachts the galley is laid out down one side; on Pelonia , it is to port.

The space is really well laid-out with a huge fridge and plenty of room for marmalade.

Inboard of the galley is the capacious engine compartment.

Two doors on the side of the compartment swing open and lift off to give excellent access to the port and aft sides. Removing the companionway steps gives access to the front.

The cockpit sole has a ‘soft patch’ which would allow the engine to be craned straight out.

The L-shaped galley is well laid out with a fiddled worktop area. Credit: Richard Langdon

It may only be used once or twice in the boat’s lifetime, but when it is, you’ll earn endless respect from the engineer that does the job.

The only complaint is that on the starboard side it would be useful to have a hatch in the heads to give better access to the oil filter.

And now to the aft cabin. It’s nothing short of decadent.

In fact, it’s been described as ‘too big’ by the more puritanical owner, who would like more locker space for fenders.

The two halves of the double bunk are both 3ft wide, light streams through the deck hatch and there’s even a flip-up dressing table.

3ft-wide berths and plenty of light makes the aft cabin bright and airy. Credit: Richard Langdon

The only problem, and it’s a big problem, is that access to the top of the rudder stock is under the bunk.

The emergency tiller is only operable from below decks and although steering from the comfort of your bunk might sound appealing, the novelty will probably wear off.

In case of steering failure, the autopilot , rather than the emergency tiller, will be the first recourse, so it must be kept operational.

Under sail Pelonia performs well.

She’s fairly heavy for her size but with her fully-battened main and 17% sail area to displacement ratio she’s got plenty of get-up-and-go.

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She made 6 knots close-hauled with 15 knots apparent and as we bore away and the apparent wind dropped, she maintained over 6 knots on a beam and broad reach.

When the wind dropped off later in the day she made 5.3 knots close-hauled in 10 knots apparent, which is very respectable for a boat that is also heavy-weather proof and comfortable to live aboard.

A removable inner forestay for a working staysail has been added by many owners including Edward and Miranda.

The huge 150% genoa which they inherited was unwieldy and rarely fully unfurled, so they had a 120% genoa made and a working jib, bringing the headsail count to four white sails plus a storm jib.

On the helm her large rudder is nicely balanced, she’s a pleasure to sail and she handles her canvas well.

There is plenty of stowage down below. Credit: Richard Langdon

You won’t achieve the downwind speeds of a flat-bottomed modern cruiser, but she’ll keep up 6 knots whatever weather comes her way.

She tracks well on her long-ish fin keel making life easier for crew and autopilot. She’s an excellent passage-making boat.

‘We arrive much less tired than we used to on Polar Bear . We can do an 80-mile passage and don’t spend the next day recovering,’ Miranda explained.

Under power the 60HP Volvo Penta has plenty of oomph. We made 5.8 knots at 2,000RPM, and 7 knots at 2,500.

She’s certainly no angel in a marina though.

It takes quite a run-up to establish steerage in reverse, but eventually she’ll follow her rudder obediently.

She’s better at straight lines than tight circles and you can’t have it both ways.

The bow thruster helps, although at 30 years old its occasional malfunction has been the subject of some colourful Whatsapp chats!

Flush teak decks with substantial stanchions and mooring cleats mounted on the capping rails. Credit: Richard Langdon

Like all ocean sailing boats, their suitability doesn’t stop at the hull, rig and interior.

Pelonia has had endless upgrades to adapt her for long-term cruising: a new bimini, wind generator and solar panels to name a few.

Knowing the time and expense that goes into installing these, it’s worth buying a boat that’s already set-up.

Nonetheless, the Najad 390 has been a very successful compromise. But is there anything they miss about Polar Bear ? ‘The forehatch’, said Miranda, ‘ Pelonia ’s is far too small to move big sails in and out of.’

Polar Bear came with five headsails and Pelonia ’s wardrobe has almost caught up.

I tried to explain that not everyone changes their headsails around these days, they just roll them up but it was to no avail: ‘There’s nothing worse than sailing around with the wrong canvas up’, You can take the sailor out of the classic racing yacht, but you can’t take the classic racing yacht out of the sailor.

Our tools don’t just shape us, they shape the next generation of tools as well.

Expert opinion on the Najad 390

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

Ben Sutcliffe- Davies has been in the marine industry for over 40 years as a long- time boat builder, has been surveying craft for over 20 years and is a Full Member of the YDSA.

The materials used on the Najad 390 are excellent.

I’ve personally not carried out a pre-purchase survey on one but have inspected a couple for other reasons.

Pay attention to the decks. The teak decks were screwed down through the GRP deck moulding which is a core sandwich construction using a PVC-type devinyl cell as spacing material.

This was used for its reported strength and heat insulation, but keeping the yacht long-term in sub-zero temperatures will start detachment of any wet core, allowing working decks to soften.

Look at the mast step arrangement to check the condition of the core pad within the encapsulation; an easy check is looking closely at the deck step with a straight edge.

Rudders and skegs are susceptible to moisture ingress on a boat of this age and should be carefully inspected.

Having spoken to one of the Najad 390’s former builders, I’ve discovered that this model has an encapsulated keel, but there were options of having either iron or lead laid in.

The majority were reportedly filled with iron ingots and not lead. The use of a magnet is really the only way to know what is inside!

All were capped off with a mixture of sand and resin.

Over time there is a risk of moisture causing expansion of the iron ingots, especially if the craft gets an unintended grounding.

I’ve had several experiences of iron-filled keels with detachment so a proper assessment of the keel is essential.

Alternatives to the Najad 390 to consider

The cutter rig means the boat performs well to windward. Credit: Colin Work

Bowman is one of the few yards to produce sailing yachts purely for ocean passages.

The Bowman 40 was one of several iconic blue-water cruisers which has a long and successful history.

Originally designed by Laurent Giles with a long keel and transom-hung rudder, a second version from the 1980s was drawn by Chuck Paine after Bowman merged with Rival.

The model was so successful that it went on to become the Bowman 42.

Cutter-rigged, the Paine Bowman 40 had a fairly long Scheel Keel to keep draft to a minimum and give good course-keeping abilities.

However, there will be a small sacrifice in windward performance compared to the Najad 390 or Hallberg-Rassy.

The hull has a traditional, deep forefoot as you’d expect from a serious cruising yacht of this era.

There’s a skeg-hung rudder giving you more protection in case of any encounters with orca whales.

The raised coachroof and deep gunwales make the side decks feel safe and contained and the aft cockpit is deep and secure.

The Bowman 40 is built for ocean passages. Credit: Mervyn Wheatley

The mainsheet and traveller are forwards of the companionway.

Running backstays, which are a necessary part of the cutter rig, make tacking a little more laborious but offer redundancy in case of backstay failure.

Below decks the interior joinery is teak, which is a little lighter and more golden than mahogany.

It’s a luxury that you’d be unlikely to find in modern yachts as it’s prohibitively expensive and unsustainable.

The galley has the best position of all of these yachts, it’s well forwards and almost part of the saloon.

The engine is beneath the central counter, keeping weight in the middle of the boat for better seakeeping.

The payoff for the generous saloon and galley area is in the cabins.

There’s a single (on some models as it was offered as an option) and double aft cabin.

As is always the case with aft cockpit yachts the berths are tucked under the cockpit sole and feel cramped in comparison.

The master cabin is forwards with a separate heads.

Several hulls were sold and finished by owners, so the interiors vary, and some seem to have been converted to sloop rigs, which is a shame when there are so few cutters available.

It should be straightforward to convert them back.

Hallberg-Rassy 39

The Hallberg-Rassy 39 Mk1 version has a counter stern

If you put a coachroof on the Najad 390 you’d end up with something very like the Hallberg-Rassy 39.

First built in 1991 the model comes in a Mk1 and Mk 2 version, the former having a counter stern and the latter with a small sugar-scoop and bathing platform.

Over 200 hulls have been made and they’re a very popular offshore cruiser. The underwater profile is a long-ish fin keel which is bolted on rather than being encapsulated.

There’s a part skeg on the rudder and nice deep forefoot. There was a shoal draft version available which has a slightly better AVS at 125° instead of 123°.

A removable inner forestay came as standard, allowing you to set a storm jib when necessary, whilst still enabling the foredeck to be used for the tender.

Like the Najad 390, there’s a centre-cockpit and master aft cabin with a large cockpit locker on the starboard side.

Thanks to the coach-roof there’s 6ft 6in head room in the saloon. The interior joinery is mahogany, which creates a traditional feel.

For those that like them, there’s the option of two armchairs in the saloon, rather than a standard bench seat.

The galley is set up differently: it’s U-shaped and aft-facing to starboard of the companionway.

It would be secure in a seaway but has less storage and work surface compared to the Najad 390, and some people dislike the reverse orientation.

The aft cabin has a double berth to one side and single to the other, and together they take up the full width of the boat.

It’s a slightly odd configuration and perhaps a bit more storage and bit less bunkage would have been useful.

Westerly Sealord

Generous side decks make the cockpit feel secure. Credit: David Harding

At the more accessible end of the market the Westerly Sealord is a good option.

They came in a ketch or sloop rig with a centre cockpit and an aft cabin that had its own heads.

Westerly are renowned for making robust hulls, some of which have made  extraordinary voyages.

The Sealord was their largest model at the time of construction and designed as a performance cruiser.

42 Sealords were made in the mid 1980s before the back half of the boat was extended by 15in to give a bigger aft cabin, creating the better-known Oceanlord.

The hull is solid laminate and the decks are sandwich construction with PVC foam.

The bolt-on fin keel, spade rudder and lack of inner forestay for rigging a storm jib are detractions for die-hard ocean sailors.

At 20% lighter than her Scandinavian equivalents, she’ll be faster in light airs .

Originally designed with a 36HP Volvo, some models were produced with a 28HP engine which many owners upgraded.

The layout below is excellent. The saloon is smaller than the other boats in this selection but it leaves room for a generous nav station and galley.

At half a metre wider than the Najad 390, there’s also space for a twin cabin with bunk beds under the starboard side decks which doubles as the access route to the aft cabin.

The interior is teak-veneered ply with solid teak trim. Some examples need TLC and the overall feel of the boat is less luxurious.

But if it’s the thrills and not the frills you’re after then the Sealord is an excellent choice.

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• Sailboat Reviews

A well-built center-cockpit model from Scandinavia offers offshore potential and some nice frills— at a hefty price.

Not everyone knows that a “naiad” is a water nymph. Nor might all sailors know that Najad is a Swedish builder of top-shelf cruising boats. After sailing the recently-introduced Najad 380 in a pluperfect, 12-knot sou’wester off Jamestown, RI, we came away convinced that “Najad” is a name worth knowing.

Located on the island of Orust on the west coast of Sweden, the Najad boatyard anchors the small town of Henan—a quiet cove “with shipbuilding traditions that date back to the Vikings.” Founded by Berndt Arvidson in 1971, and dedicated to “advanced design leading to innovation based on tradition,” this company has launched some 1,800 boats since its beginnings. Grown now to employ 115 people who work in an ultra-modern, 50,000-sq.-ft. facility, Najad was recently purchased by a group headed by Dutch financial consultant Alfred van Wincoop.

The company builds blue-water cruisers distinguished by their fixed windscreens. (Sailing in Scandianavia can be rugged, and good protection is appreciated.) According to company literature, the 380’s overall aura is “crisp, Scandinavian, and purposeful.” That may seem somewhat vague, but consider that there’s a Mediterranean-style swim platform, sybaritic expanse of teak deck, a nicely-sprung sheerline, and a modern 15/16 fractional rig. The emphases of this center-cockpit cruiser are an arrangement that provides maximum privacy in two cabins, good sailing ability, and good looks. She’s an interesting mix of go-anywhere function, top-of-the-line detailing, and reasonable performance. She is also (as evidenced in her price tag—well over $300,000) testimony that these niceties don’t come cheaply.

The Design Najad’s design partner since 1998 is the well-known Hamburg, Germany marine engineering office of Judel-Vrolijk & Co. Along with the normal naval architect’s input, this firm provides intense, step-by-step oversight of the building process, and is also involved in quality control, interior detailing, cost accounting, production efficiency, and even sales and marketing. Its relationship with Najad is thus a genuine partnership.

But Judel-Vrolijk is notable for much more. The creators of more than 350 designs to date, Dutchman Rolf Vrolijk and German Freidrick Judel set up shop in 1978 to pursue their talents in race boat design. It took them until 1983 (when they designed all three boats on the winning Admiral’s Cup team from Germany) to reach the pinnacle, but they’ve been at or close to the top of the competitive world ever since. As an example, most recently Vrolijk was the chief designer for Team Alinghi, winner of the 2003 America’s Cup. From Whitbread 60s to top dinghies and in virtually every corner of the sailing world under all conceivable rating systems, the company has enjoyed major racing success.

In addition to those enviable race results, the firm (Torsten Conradi became the third member of the Judel-Vrolijk Design Team in 1993) has also had success working with and for production boatbuilders. Companies like Dehler, Hanse, Baltic, and Grand Soleil have depended on the firm’s grasp of what makes boats fast in order to create top-performing cruising boats. Beginning with the Najad 490 in 1997, Judel-Vrolijk began doing exactly that for Najad.

Tim Ulrich, a designer with Judel/Vrolijk, explained the company’s design philosophy: “Compromises are always involved. Take the rig. Our challenge with the 380 was to find the optimum power with the greatest ease of handling and cruising versatility. The sailplan consists of a tall (15/16) working jib providing the longest possible leading edge for upwind efficiency, plus enough area for speed. The other sail is a large (450 sq. ft.) mainsail. An overlapping genoa (140%) is available as an option, but we feel that the proportions and balance of her working sails are ideal for most conditions.”

The jib trims inboard for tight sheeting angles, is small enough to make tacking simple for shorthanded crews, and marries nicely with a generous, controllable mainsail. The headstay reaches almost to the masthead. This “slightly fractional” arrangement allows for control of both headstay tension and mainsail shape via the backstay while at the same time the two-spreader rig is neither too sensitive nor too complicated for normal cruising.

“Designing the hull presents a tension between the ideal shape for sailing and the volume necessary for cruising,” explained Ulrich. “The Najads in general and the 380 in particular are slimmer and more ‘veed’ in their foresections than most cruisers. Not only does this provide good seakeeping and an easy entry, but it gives them a grip on the water similar to that enjoyed by a raceboat.”

The midsections of the 380 are relatively round (to minimize wetted surface and maximize volume). There is also a bit more rocker in the canoe body, which, Ulrich pointed out, breeds a comfortable motion in waves and makes the boat easy to turn. The stern quarters are most definitely U-shaped. The flat bottom of the “U” helps add form stability and reduce wetted surface still further. The shape also serves to provide added waterline length when the boat heels and thus boost the 380’s top-end speed potential.

In the appendages, the tension between performance potential and cruising reality plays out again. “The rudder,” Ulrich told us, “is a relatively high-aspect ratio form, but both its chord length and thickness make it a low-stall foil geared to work well through a wide range of conditions. In addition, for protection and tracking, it is hung from a vestigial skeg.”

The same balance between efficiency and sensitivity shows up in the keel. Its relatively long chord length and thick foil sections make it forgiving, and help it work well in waves and through tacks. It is also generous, for a modern design, in lateral plane; its profile is a familiar swept-back leading edge (offering reduced drag) planform. Maximum lift and minimum wetted surface were subordinated here to a conservative, all-round answer that resonates with Najad’s respect for tradition. The standard keel draws 6′ 4″, but a 5′ 4″ shoal-draft version is available.

“Weight is a big part of the challenge with cruising boats,” said Ulrich. “We make a minimum of three loops in the design process focusing on weight, trying to eliminate it, or move it lower in the boat. With a boat like this, however, we are always looking for the robust solution. We never cut corners to save weight.”

The 380 displaces a healthy 18,260 lbs. She is no featherweight among boats of her size, but designer and builder have given her the tools and the horsepower to throw that weight around. Her sail area/displacement ratio of 18.26 compares well to her often more lightly-built competitors (see Najad 380 In Context sidebar, pg. 27). In addition, her ballast/displacement ratio of a solid 35% and low center of gravity, orchestrated by Admiral’s and America’s Cup winners, promise to let her be stiff enough to carry sail well. However, her tried and true foils, her considerable heft, and her cruiser-friendly sailplan put some limits on her performance potential. When compared to the rockets that have kept the Judel/Vrolijk bread buttered for lo these many years, the Najad 380 definitely falls toward the “cruisy” end of the spectrum.

On Deck The 380 we sailed had a dodger-house, which is essentially a structure of canvas, stainless rails, soft windows, and zippers that fit beneath the boom and over the steering station to completely enclose the cockpit. Many Scandinavian boats have similar fixtures, we’ve learned. This convertible room isn’t tall enough to rival a genuine pilothouse, but it folds out of the way surprisingly quickly and offers virtually complete protection from sun, rain, and spray. And diesel generated heat (which is standard in the cabin of the 380) can be pumped into the cockpit if you choose that option. One downside of the arrangement, we felt, was that the supports for the expanse of canvas overhead obstructed the boat’s double-ended mainsheet.

The 380’s center cockpit gives her a profile that is better-looking than most boats of this ilk. It also offers good weather protection and a cozy feel. Sailors on this boat, however, will always be a bit higher off the water than they might be accustomed to.

The seat backs are passably high at 12″, but we felt that they could have been higher for security and comfort. On the positive side, the coaming heights make for a manageable step in and out of the cockpit, which adds to the ease of working the boat. We found, however, that having to step up and around the wheel (which is wider than the cockpit footwell) was annoying, and by trapping the helmsperson behind it, the wheel presents a potential problem for sailhandling with a shorthanded crew.

With sails that are permanently hoisted and live on roller furlers, the 380’s halyards are controlled from the mast, which is a clean solution. Her angled, eight-foot genoa track is close enough to the house to offer clear passage fore and aft on the sidedeck and is fitted with two sets of jib cars, (both capable of remote adjustment)—one for the working jib, another for a genoa. The primary winches, set on islands outboard of the cockpit, are a bit farther from the helm than we’d like, but the electric Andersen self-tailing winches on our 380 worked effortlessly with the push of a conveniently located button. The helmsman has better access to the mainsheet than is the norm on cruising boats: it trims from the two aft corners of the cockpit. However, we didn’t like the rope clutches in the system. Self-tailers are simpler and safer, we feel.

Najad uses wood at every turn. Deck and swimming platform are laid with solid teak planks, as are the seats and upper coaming tops in the cockpit. There are teak grab rails and a teak caprail. Most unusual were twin teak cockpit tables on either side of the companionway. Eye-catching solid sculptures in wood, they add warmth to an area that is usually austere. Fitted with no-nonsense fiddles, they not only look great, but should make topside life more convenient. It’s our conviction, however, that there’s no such thing as maintenance-free wood. Eye-appealing and captivating as the 380’s exterior is, it will take substantial effort and expense to keep it that way.

Accommodations The accent on wood continues below. The furniture and trim are rendered in African mahogany “unstained, hand-polished, and varnished to a satin finish.” White tiles accented with fore-and aft mahogany battens form the overhead. A well-matched teak-and-holly sole (plywood) is underfoot. In between, the joinery and wood-wisdom that make up the Najad heritage have been given free rein. Matches are meticulous, grains are highlighted, joints are precise, and curves are appealing. Few are the builders who don’t attempt to woo you with wood when you come below, but few of them do it better than Najad. And it goes beyond the cosmetic. The timber supports for the saloon settees are out of sight, but the 4″ by 4″ timbers fitted there are the epitome of solid—excellent examples of the way well-built furniture contributes to a quiet, strong, and sturdy boat. The berth bottoms (fore and aft) are unvarnished and ventilated with holes to avoid dampness. The bulkhead separating the saloon and galley flows into an integrated handhold that is not only a joy to see, but perfectly placed for the cook’s convenience. There’s a twin handhold opposite on the half bulkhead that separates the starboard settee from the nav station.

Like most center-cockpits, the layout on the 380 takes advantage of the way the cockpit divides the boat. Aft is a master cabin with double, settee/berth, vented hanging locker, cupboards, and cabinets. Stowage is good and ventilation (via two opening ports and a skylight) is much better than one would expect. Built-in blind/screen assemblies on the hatch are a thoughtful amenity. And there is standing headroom in the passageway (to port) that leads aft from the galley.

Arranged outboard along the port midsection, the galley is sited where the boat’s motion is least noticeable. And few boats of this size offer more counter space. A 12-V, air-cooled refrigerator is standard. There is also room for a freezer (optional). A fitted wastebasket and a variably organized pot locker are nice touches. The basics—hard lines for propane gas, a foot pump for emergency access to the water supply, marble-like easy-to-clean counter tops, thoughtful lighting, and an opening port above the stove—are all there, as well.

The head, situated to port, gleams white with gel-coated bulkheads plus Corian counters and benches. A shower stall with bench seat add to the head’s basic functions. The holding tank is stainless steel and can be drained overboard by gravity as well as pumped. Water that collects in the shower sump (below the molded sole) can also be pumped overboard. The 380 has only one head, but that allows it to be over-sized (6′ 3″ headroom) and comfortable.

The saloon is relatively far forward in the boat, but by drawing the curvature of the midsection to allow them to lower the sole, Judel-Vrolijk & Co. gained the interior volume that the boat’s living center needs to work well. Whether it’s Layout A with settees port and starboard, or C with built-in chairs in the “entertainment center,” the saloon pulls the boat together. It shows off the best joinery (like the boxed-in compression post, the central table, the nicely-matched locker fronts, and the clever bottle stowage). It’s home to the flat-screen TV, stereo, and computer. The saloon is lit by a central skylight and cooled by six opening portlights. Electrical lighting is good, with six (three on each side) recessed halogen lights, and three adjustable reading lights hung on the bulkheads. The port-side settee can seat five comfortably around the table, and depending upon the interior plan you select, two to three others can join in.

The forward cabin suffers a bit from the boat’s narrow entry; the 6′-6″ berth is pinched markedly at the forward end. Stowage is, nonetheless, more than adequate and ventilation, by means of an opening port plus an overhead hatch, is better than average. At the forward end of the space is a half-height “collision bulkhead.” This stout partition is not high enough to make a “sacrificial cone” of the bow, but it is sized, placed, and constructed to “be of great help in the event of a collision or holing.” The mahogany ceiling strakes and half bulkheads that border the berth make pleasing accents for the white headliner.

More than three feet deep, the keel sump is one of the features of the 380 that marks her as a boat targeted for ocean passages. Shallow-bilged boats too often inflict bilgewater on stores that were dryly stowed before the boat heeled over. It’s hard to imagine the 380 filling to that point. In addition, easy access to the bilge enables owners to service the drainage and fresh water system.

The engine is sited beneath the companionway. You can get at it easily by lifting the stairs; a dip-stick portal opens to port, and a removable cockpit panel affords virtually 360-degree access. Certainly big enough for the boat, this 54-hp diesel sits atop four rubber mounts and is attached to the shaft via a flexible coupling, all of which explains its vibration-free performance. Inch-thick foam insulates the entire lighted compartment, deadening the sound remarkably well. The fuel tank and the fresh water tanks are made of stainless steel.

Performance Her four-cylinder Yanmar was hardly audible. Vibration was minimal, too. As soon as we found space to open the throttle we pushed it. The boat jumped to 6.5 knots at slightly more than 2,200 rpm in moderately flat water, and there was plenty of power in reserve.

One of the nicest surprises of our time on board was the 380’s roller-furling main. Set up on an in-mast furler from UK Syverson, the sail offered much more horsepower than the roach-reduced mains that we’ve come to associate with in-mast furling systems. Not only was its area adequate to its task, it set well. The secret, we learned, was in the vertical battens arrayed along the leech. Sails like these have been around for almost five years, but PS has had little experience with them. Actually using one under sail, we were taken with how wrinkle-free it remained and how relatively friction-free it was to set and furl. Taming the main is an essential element in making a boat like the 380 (which carries a proportionately large mainsail) easy to sail. Vertical batten technology seems to offer significant advantages in this area.

Our test boat had variable speed electric winches: the harder you press the button the faster the winch turns. We encountered very few waves and no whitecaps during our test sail, but we still got a definite sense that the boat was close-winded. Registering a 35-degree apparent wind angle at better than 1/3 the true wind speed while making minimal leeway, the 380 looked a lot like the ideal upwind cruising boat. After a few tacks we were also taken with her maneuverability. The boat answered the helm rapidly and consistently. When we applied the “hands off” test, she also tracked straight for minutes at a time, a tribute to the balance of her sailplan coupled with the appropriate sizing of her skeg.

In such a benign breeze, however, her relatively small headsail seemed to make her a bit slow in accelerating. It was longer before she started to make her own wind on a new tack, we felt, than it might have been had we been flying a larger headsail. We recorded an average of just under 90° between tacks. What little we could determine about her stability we liked; her rail stayed well clear of the water even when we reached along with the main strapped in tight in the occasional 14-knot puffs.

Because the working sails on the 380 we tested were each furled, sailhandling was a simple affair. The mainsail and the headsail (on a Selden Furlex system) deployed and retracted flawlessly.

Conclusions It’s now been decades since the heyday of the masthead sloop driven by a big genny and a minimal mainsail. Still, most cruising boats remain closer to that archetype than to the more sensible sail plan we favor. We applaud Judel-Vrolijk & Co. because, instead of re-drawing a raceboat and selling it to a cruising builder, they have invested creditable amounts of time and experience in a boat designed to sail the way cruisers really sail.

Najad knows its niche and has prospered by filling it with sensible, sound, (but certainly expensive) auxiliaries. Its all-round commitment to quality and especially its exquisite production joinery place it among the world’s best production (or semi-custom) builders. However, exterior wood, even one as traditional as teak, is overused here, in our opinion. While it is somewhat a matter of taste, we quarrel with the cosmetic use of teak because it adds weight as well as upkeep. Finally, while we applaud the resources and expertise brought to the design by Judel-Vrolijk & Co., it seems to us that the application of their go-fast knowledge and experience has been curtailed somewhat by the builder’s emphasis on tradition.

Contact – Najad (Scandinavian Yachts, Inc.), 401/846-8442, www.najad.se .

Also With This Article “Najad 380 In Context” “Construction”

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• Sailboat Guide

Najad 34 is a 34 ′ 3 ″ / 10.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Olle Enderlein and built by Najad Yachts between 1972 and 1980.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

This was the first boat called NAJAD and several variations were available. The first boats were mid/center cockpit models as shown in photo. An aft cockpit version appeared later as well as a more performance oriented version with a taller rig.

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• By Ralph Naranjo
• Updated: January 28, 2009

The Najad 355 is a modest-size sailboat ready for the long haul, and with its strong epoxy-composite structure and low center of gravity, the Judel/Vrolijk & Co. design has what it takes to turn coastal cruising into a jaunt to Bermuda and adventures that lie well beyond.

Stepping aboard, I found the kind of harmony that only comes from a designer and builder who are in sync with the purpose of a given project. The hull, deck, rig, and accommodations work together to deliver a sailboat to go places. The cockpit is snug and safe, with dry, comfortable seating behind a windshield-and-folding dodger arrangement that protects the companionway and the forward edge of the cockpit. The deck is easy to traverse, and the combination of the traditional teak deck and modern hardware with sensible sheet and running-rigging leads underscores the dual theme of aesthetics and functionality.

Under way, the racing pedigree of the 355’s designer was apparent in the featherlight feel of the helm, the tight tacking angles, and the efficient sail plan. In 10 to 14 knots of breeze, it sailed at 6 knots, marching along with a comfortable angle of heel. A nicely cut triradial mainsail and a deck-sweeping, nearly masthead jib provided plenty of power, and bearing off to a 120-degree apparent-wind angle still kept the boat going at more than 6 knots. If passagemaking were in the offing, a higher-cut foot for the furling headsail and a removable inner forestay to hank on a storm jib would be easy options to add.

With sails down, the 28-horsepower Volvo (a 40-horsepower option also is available) moved the vessel in flat seas at 7.1 knots at a cruising rpm of 2,200. Hull speed had been reached, and upping the rpm to 2,500 didn’t increase boat speed at all. The saildrive ran smoothly, but it was a little noisy below. The rudder remained responsive, and there was no vibration from prop thrust. In reverse, the boat maneuvered easily, turning with just a small amount of rudder deflection.

The hull shape is full aft and fine forward, with more dead rise than the raceboats designed by Judel/Vrolijk usually exhibit. Consequently, the boat has good form stability for a 35-footer yet lacks the bone-thumping ride of a raceboat. The external-ballast keel is an iron foil/lead bulb combo that leverages the stiff nature of a cast-iron foil and the density of lead. It’s attached to the hull with stainless-steel keel bolts. The rudder is made with a stainless-steel stock, with welded webs under the foam-and-fiberglass blade.

All the hull skin inside that could be seen showed signs of high-quality glasswork. The evident attention paid during the lamination process was impressive, and such details as the lap seam in the upper bulwark joint and core removal around hardware-attachment points also pointed to a well-made boat.

The Najad 355 is built with higher-cost materials such as epoxy resin and Divinycell core and is vacuum bagged, a sign of a high-tech rather than a run-of-the-mill approach to boatbuilding. This is the smallest boat in the Najad line, but it benefits from a builder accustomed to building highly stressed structures in much larger vessels.

The rig is a Seldén double-spreader, deck-stepped spar with hefty standing rigging. One of my favorite tests for any deck-stepped rig is to stand in the cabin by the compression post while the vessel is nosed into the wind and note the effect of a momentarily flogging mainsail. On well-built hulls, there’s no feeling of a wet terrier trying to shake its fur dry. And in this case, there was no movement at all: The hull and deck worked in conjunction with the chainplates and grid system to immobilize the spar-a welcome trait when a deck-stepped mast is used aboard an oceangoing vessel.

The cabin is light and airy, and the accommodations are spacious, with a European flair setting off well-crafted woodwork that avoids spartan minimalism. The wide beam is carried aft and provides room under the cockpit sole for a double berth, a bunk that’s just right in cooler regions but might be a little warm in the tropics. A roomy head with a shower stall lies just to starboard of the companionway ladder. The L-shaped galley, to port, features a two-burner stove, a twin centerline sink, and enough counter space to get the job done. It’s not a domain for the gourmet, but after all, this is a 35-footer, not a 40-footer.

The aft-facing chart table works in conjunction with the starboard settee, which, like its partner to port, can double as a decent sea berth. Between the berths stands a drop-leaf table. Forward of the main bulkhead is a conventional V-berth and locker space. The genius lies not in the amenities in the layout but in the way they work in the available space.

The Najad 355 won the 2008 CW Boat of the Year award for Best Small Cruiser because it stood out in a tough class thanks to attributes that range from user-friendly sailing characteristics to comfortable accommodations that work equally well in port or under way.

Ralph Naranjo was a 2008 CW Boat of the Year judge.

The BOTY judges found lots on which to agree as they proclaimed the Najad 355 to be the Best Small Cruiser of 2008: great sails, solid motion through the water, practical interior, well-laid-out deck. There was, however, one point of contention during the sea trials: Who should get to steer next? This boat was a hoot to sail.

In a 9- to 11-knot breeze, the Najad sailed closehauled at just less than 6 knots and tacked through 85 degrees. Cracked off to a beam reach, the speed over the ground on a pocket-size GPS read 7.

A conventional main and an overlapping genoa give the Najad a fairly traditional cruising-boat feel and considerable lift under way. The boat handled the small Chesapeake Bay chop just fine. Control lines led aft to the windshielded cockpit, where judge Stacey Collins noted that the mainsheet could be easily trimmed while standing at the helm. Sail-control lines running back from the mast were led through stainless-steel plates to prevent an inrush of water, should a wave come over the bow.

Belowdecks, the teak interior includes roomy double cabins fore and aft, an L-shaped galley to port at the foot of the companionway, a head and shower to starboard, and a midline table and two settees amidships. The galley is a no-nonsense work space for cooking under way and features double centerline sinks.

Judges deemed the structural quality of the boat quite good, with a Divinycell and epoxy hull and deck, a cast-iron fin with a lead bulb, and stainless-steel keel bolts. Carrying a price tag of $340,000 (delivered to the U.S. East Coast), the Najad was by far the most costly of the small cruisers, but as judge Steve Callahan concluded, “This was a boat that sailed really well. The wind was up a bit, and it was clearly a sailboat.”

• LOA 35′ 9″ (10.9 m.)
• LWL 30′ 5″ (9.27 m.)
• Beam 11′ 0″ (3.4 m.)
• Draft 6′ 3″ (1.9 m.)
• Sail Area (100%) 709 sq. ft. (65.9 sq. m.)
• Ballast 5,512 lb. (2,500 kg.)
• Displacement 15,212 lb. (6,900 kg.)
• Ballast/D .36
• Water 66 gal. (250 l.)
• Fuel 40 gal. (150 l.)
• Mast Height 54′ 2″ (16.46 m.)
• Engine 28-hp. Volvo
• Designer Judel/Vrolijk & Co.
• Price $370,000

Scandinavian Yachts (401) 846-8404 www.scandyacht.com

• More: 2001 - 2010 , 31 - 40 ft , blue water cruising , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , najad , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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A Modern Cruiser

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Modern Cruiser

N395 AC (aft cockpit) is designed in a joint venture between Najad, Farr Yacht Design – The top racing-yacht design team in the world and Ken Freivokh Design – Superyacht stylist, architect, and interior designer with one of the world’s most impressive reference lists. Focus when developing the yacht has been on safety, sailing performance, comfort, long distance cruising and luxury.

The yacht is characterised by a large Caribbean style cockpit with twin helm stations. It has a well- designed interior, and a very comprehensive option list that includes all equipment necessary to tailor the yacht to any individual needs. The yacht is available in two or three cabin layouts with one or two large heads.

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