Design and Construction
The hull carries a flat underbody and a fine entry that flares gracefully into a moderately wide beam, while the cast-iron fin terminates in a modern lead bulb and a balanced spade rudder linked to the wheel by rack-and-pinion gears and a chain loop completes the underwater foil set anchor. Above the waterline, the vacuum-bagged, resin-infused epoxy hull has a closed-cell core extending upward from just below the turn of the bilge, and Najad also laminates Divinycell foam into the deck. A fixed windshield and teak deck create a familiar Scandinavian look, yet the 355 appears sleeker than many offshore cruisers of its size. A molded gutter leads to internal deck drains, so spray neither stands on the teak nor runs down to stain the topsides, and the side decks are easy to navigate with excellent antiskid underfoot.
Rig and Handling
You can hoist sails from the helm and reach all the control lines easily, as they lead neatly to just the right spots in the cockpit anchor, and test sailors found the sail trim simple for a singlehander or a shorthanded crew with light loads on the genoa cars. The hull form is quite slick and the boat seems to coast forever, consistently returning better than half the wind velocity in speed through the water. In 5 to 6 knots of breeze off Annapolis, the wheel feedback was excellent with no turbulence or sloppiness and a gearing ratio suited to easy control, while the turning circle measured about half a boatlength. Under power, a 28-hp Volvo Penta D1-305 saildrive with a standard folding three-blade prop drove to a 7.5-knot hull speed at full throttle, and a 1,900-RPM cruise yielded 6.8 knots and quiet conditions below.
Accommodations
The interior is finished beautifully in African mahogany with just the right amount of fabric and white surface to make it friendly. The saloon is traditional, with two settees facing a square table; those settees expand to become full-width berths, and the L-shaped galley sits adjacent with self-closing drawers elegantly constructed with unusual mitered joints. The head compartment is large for a boat this length, and a separate wet locker handles foul-weather gear. In the forward cabin the V-berth is wide enough at the bow to reduce foot interference with a sleeping partner, though the bunk is high enough that you’ll do a bit of climbing to get in and out; the aft-cabin berth is queen-size and nearly square with unusually good headroom for a boat this size. Hanging lockers include ventilation slots at the top to prevent mildew. Saloon headroom is 6'5" and cabin headroom 6'.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
What many owners call the "dashboard" — Najad terms it the chart table to distinguish it from the cabin nav station — sits beside the companionway and holds cruising necessities beneath a translucent skylight. Excellent grabrails on the windshield lead to others on the cabintop, all well sized and spaced, and the mooring cleats are huge. Mooring lines, a spare anchor, and fenders are all standard equipment, as is a heating system, and the electronic throttle lever clicks into forward, neutral, and reverse with fingertip pressure. All the tanks are stainless steel, and the fuel tank has a pumpout from the bottom so you can remove accumulated sludge and keep the engine humming.
The Verdict
The Najad 355 is a thoughtfully modern offshore cruiser that trades the lumbering presence of older Nordic boats for a slick, easily handled hull without surrendering cabin comfort or ocean-rated construction. It suits a couple or small family who want to sail shorthanded and still entertain in a polished interior.
Pros
- Resin-infused cored hull and foam-cored deck with lead-bulb fin and spade rudder
- Helm-position sail handling with lightly loaded controls for shorthanded crews
- Quiet, efficient Volvo Penta saildrive reaching hull speed under full throttle
- Traditional yet expansive interior with queen aft berth and large head
- CE Category A (Ocean) certification with stainless tanks and standard heat
Cons
- Forward V-berth sits high and requires climbing in and out
- Teak deck demands ongoing maintenance to preserve the molded drainage scheme
