Design and Construction
The 380 is a hand-laid, epoxy-treated hull mated to a foam-cored laminate deck, with the hull-to-deck joint strengthened at the stanchion bases by through-hull mechanical fittings. Below, a bolted-on lead keel carries an elongated foot with a bulbous edge meant to keep the center of gravity low, and the boat combines that keel with a spade rudder. Chainplates are stainless steel, bolted to transverse bulkheads, and the mooring cleats are through-bolted with backing pads. Each boat was built to order in layout, so interior arrangements vary hull to hull, but the structural envelope is consistent. The standard draft is 6 feet 3 inches, with a shoal-draft version drawing 5 feet 4 inches for thinner water.
Rig and Deck Layout
A Selden silver-anodized aluminum mast is stepped on the coachroof and supported below by a steel pillar, carrying a fractional rig with twin spreaders and twin lower shrouds. Halyards are tended at the mast base while sheets lead aft to the cockpit, and the backstay is mechanically adjustable. The boom carries a gas-dampened Selden rodkicker and topping lift, and the tested boat had in-mast furling plus stainless wire halyards tucked inside the mast. A Selden Furlex roller-furling drum handled the foresail. Power comes from a 54-horsepower Yanmar diesel, and the engine is reached by removing the companionway steps or through a hinged door aft of the galley into a sound-insulated engine room.
Accommodations
Below, hand-milled African mahogany cabinetry sets the tone, and there is standing headroom for anyone over six feet two. The cockpit is sheltered by a toughened-glass windshield and built to seat six besides the helmsman's sculpted seat and two stern-pulpit perches. A diesel heater and a spray hood hinged to the windscreen—with side canvas that can fully enclose the cockpit—extend the season. The companionway sliding hatch doubles as a chart table. The galley sits just aft of the saloon on the port side, with a two-basin stainless sink on a foot-pedal faucet, a 12-volt Waeco fridge and freezer, microwave, and gimbaled oven with twin burners; fixed gas pipes have a remote shutoff. An L-shaped settee to port and two parlor chairs to starboard surround a dinette whose leaves flip up on wooden brackets, and that dinette converts to a fifth berth with a hidden wine locker. The head uses Corian for its washbasin and bench.
Equipment and Helm
At the wheel, a 31-inch leather-covered wheel sits beneath a plotter and illuminated compass bolted to the pedestal, with a row of gauges above the companionway and an optional red MOB button on its own plate. Custom self-tailing Andersen power winches handle the loads, and a throttle with an attached rocker switch commands the battery bow thrusters. Forward, a chain locker with flush doors gives easy access to a power windlass for a 35-pound Bruce anchor.
The Verdict
The Najad 380 is a thoughtfully engineered mid-size offshore cruiser that balances a modern Judel/Vrolijk hull with a warm, practical interior. The shoal-draft option broadens her range, and the redundant engine access speaks to owner-serviceability.
Pros
- Epoxy-treated hull and foam-cored deck with reinforced hull-deck joint
- Lead keel with low-center-of-gravity bulb and shoal-draft alternative
- Built-to-order interior with generous headroom and enclosed cockpit options
- Twin engine-access routes into a sound-insulated compartment
Cons
- Standard 6-foot-3 draft limits some shallow cruising grounds
- In-mast furling and full canvas were test-boat options, not base spec
