CELEBRATING
80 YEARS!
1945-2025

Njarðvík’s shipyard was founded on April 14, 1945. Leading the way were Bjarni Einarsson and Oddbergur Eiríksson. Construction began in 1946 with the building of a 150-ton slipway, seven side berths, and a 300-square-meter workshop. Those works were completed in 1947, and the first boat was hauled up in September of that year.

Repairs and construction of wooden boats were the main focus of Njarðvík´s shipyard from the beginning and throughout the entire 1950s. At the end of that decade and the beginning of the next, the number of projects and boat haul-outs increased significantly from year to year. At the same time, boats were becoming larger and larger. Therefore, a new slipway trolley was
constructed for the track, capable of hauling boats up to 250 gross tons. Construction began in April 1962 and was completed around mid-year.

In the 1960s, the number of wooden ships declined with the introduction of steel vessels into the country’s fleet. Njarðvík’s shipyard responded to these changes by constructing a new, larger slipway, which could haul ships up to 400 gross tons. Further expansion took place in 1965 with the construction of a 600-ton slipway. With the introduction of this slipway, completed in 1970, the haul-outs of larger boats steadily increased throughout the 1970s, as the
slipway could accommodate ships weighing up to 800 tons and measuring 53 meters in length. At the same time, the smaller slipway remained in use, although its utilization gradually declined. At its peak in the 1970s, more than 150 boats were hauled up each year.

 

The 1980s proved challenging for Icelandic shipbuilding, and for a time, it seemed the industry might disappear from the country. Njarðvík’s shipyard was not immune to this trend, and the outlook was bleak. It was then decided to turn defense into offense, and in the mid-1980s a decision was made to undertake further developments, including the construction of a ship
shelter and the expansion of the operational area. Construction began in 1997, when the station’s operational area was expanded southward into the sea by nearly 10,000 square meters, and in October of the same year, work started on the foundations of the ship shelter. The shelter, which is 70 meters long, about 30 meters high, and has a base area of 2,100 square meters, was officially inaugurated on November 13, 1998, though it had been in use since September 9. The expansion of the area and the addition of the shelter led to a better distribution of projects throughout the year and improved time utilization. It attracted more projects and clients. Today, the operational area of Njarðvík’s shipyard is approximately 30,000 square meters.

Since the turn of the century, the operations of Njarðvík’s shipyard have focused almost exclusively on ship repairs and maintenance.

At the turn of the year 2021–2022, Njarðvík’s shipyard made an agreement with Stakkavík in Grindavík for the construction of a 30-gross-ton steel boat equipped for longline fishing, which was built in collaboration with a Turkish shipyard and delivered in the first half of 2025.

At the beginning of summer 2025, a purchasing and sales department was established under the name SKN Parts. This new department will handle the procurement of spare parts for the station—that is, maintenance parts for the clients of Njarðvík’s shipyard. A stock of common, smaller maintenance parts will also be built up, such as standardized sizes of rudder and shaft seals, ZF control devices, control handles, and various other items. Special orders for larger parts will also be offered, including generators, ship propellers, ship cranes, various types of auxiliary winches, gearboxes, and light engines. The shipyard has also expanded its services regarding hydraulic systems and will stock Danfoss hydraulic equipment.

In the future, Njarðvík’s shipyard aims to further strengthen its operations, and last year (2024), a new master and zoning plan was approved for the area around the shipyard. According to that plan, Njarðvík’s shipyard is permitted to build a 110-meter-long covered dry dock capable of accommodating even the largest fishing vessels.

 

Today, Njarðvík’s shipyard has 30–35 permanent employees, along with a number of subcontractors, some of whom are present for most of the year, so the total number of people working on site is somewhat higher—approximately 40 to 50. In addition, the shipyard collaborates with many of the country’s leading companies in the field of services for the fishing industry.