Design and Construction
Karlsson's hull is solid fibreglass both above and below the waterline, with a deck of the same material and a mahogany interior — a conventional Scandinavian cruiser recipe of the period. The 5-foot-3-inch fin keel carries its ballast in iron, and the 26.9-foot waterline supports a theoretical hull speed of 7.0 knots. The wetted surface runs about 312 square feet, and the displacement-length ratio of 257 places her among what period analysis termed "moderate racers," though her motion comfort ratio of 26.0 to 27.9 and immersion rate of about 969 pounds per inch tell the fuller story: she is a steady, volume-carrying cruiser. The capsize screening value of 1.83 indicates a form that evaluation by that formula alone would accept for offshore participation.
Rig and Handling
The 320 is a masthead sloop carrying 477 square feet of working sail between mainsail and jib, with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.0 on the ISO reference sail and 17.8 with a 135-percent genoa. The relative speed performance value of 24 and the 7.0-knot engine maximum describe a boat that is neither sluggish nor hot. Her standard rig geometry is thoroughly documented: a 29.3-meter, 10-millimeter mainsail halyard and matching jib/genoa and spinnaker halyards, a 24.2-meter mainsheet and 9.7-meter genoa sheets at 12 millimeters, plus cunningham, kicking strap, and clew outhaul lines of 10 millimeters. The saildrive transmission behind the 28-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2003 diesel — a 7.0-knot maximum under power — is a period detail that shapes both propulsion and below-water service considerations.
Accommodations
Below, the 320 offers two cabins and five berths around a galley and a toilet facility, with 61 gallons of fresh water and the headroom described as above average for the class. The mahogany joinery frames a layout that, at a 10-foot-4-inch beam, gives a short-handed cruising couple or small family real room without the sprawl of a centre-cockpit design. The 22-gallon stainless-steel fuel tank and 61-gallon water capacity support extended stays, and the two-cabin split keeps the sleeping plan practical rather than promotional.
Refits and Ownership
With fewer than 200 built and production until 1994, the 320 is a limited-edition marque boat whose ownership pool is small. The 28-horsepower diesel and saildrive mean that any used example will live or die on drivetrain history; the solid fibreglass hull and deck remove the sandwich-core moisture questions that plague later Najads. Spare rigging lengths are fully specified, so renewal of halyards and sheets is a known, bounded job.
The Verdict
The Najad 320 is a thoughtfully proportioned Karlsson cruiser: beamy, comfortably ballasted, and documented to a degree that lets a buyer plan ownership without guesswork on dimensions or rigging. She is not a performance boat, and the saildrive plus iron keel demand disciplined maintenance, but the solid-glass construction and above-average headroom make her a sane small-cruiser choice.
Pros
- Solid fibreglass hull and deck, no core moisture risk
- Above-average headroom and two-cabin, five-berth layout
- Fully documented rigging sizes for straightforward renewal
Cons
- Saildrive leg requires disciplined seal servicing
- Iron keel needs routine anticorrosion care
- Limited production means a small used-market pool
