About Najad » The Najad Heritage

The history of boat-building on the island of Orust can be traced back to at least the 12th century.

The Vikings made use of the natural harbour at Kungsviken and the abundant pine and oak forests to build their longships. Boat-building continued down the centuries, with construction taking place in the winter, complemented by farming in the summer months.

By the early 19th century there were many small boat-builders taking advantage of the natural resources of the area, building boats of all sizes and types. One such builder, Oskar Arvidsson, worked with his son Berndt to produce fine quality sailing yachts.

By the late 1960s Berndt, with his partner Thorwald Karlsson, made the decision to commission Swedish yacht designer Olle Enderlein to draw up lines for ‘a sturdy thirty-three to thirty-four foot cruiser of exceptional quality, with a roomy interior, adequate sail area, deep enough for a big engine and, of course, good looking!’.

This was a radical concept for the time, improving manoeuvrability and handling by moving away from a full length keel and offering a separate rudder.

The stability and sailing dynamics were a revelation, and hull No. 1 – named ‘Najad’ – was launched in 1971.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

Antoine de Saint Exupery

After some consideration the name ‘Najad’ was chosen for two reasons; firstly, in homage to ‘Najaden’, a well known Swedish full-rigged sailing ship at the time and, secondly, the word ‘Najad’ comes from Greek mythology and refers to a type of water nymph – ‘a female creature which seduces men and women in the water’.

In 1974, following a very successful Hamburg Boat Show, orders for the new 34 came thick and fast and eventually ‘Kungsviken Marin’ were forced to move to larger premises to cope with the demand.

At this point in time, hull lamination was sub-contracted to local specialists, but Berndt was wise enough to ensure that all hulls should be Lloyds inspected and approved, so the customer was never in any doubt that the interior and exterior would be of both equal and outstanding quality.

Continuing demand necessitated a further move to the harbour at Henån, at which time the company changed its name to Najadvarvet AB, but the occasional storm and nor-westerly gales meant the premises were subject to flooding.