Shipbuilding and shiprepair industry developed in Gdynia along with the development of the port and the city. The year 1922 - Shipwright Franciszek Ledke opens his boat building workshop near today's Waszyngtona street.
The foundation of an enterprise " Shipyard in Gdynia" - an Association with limited liability was another important event in the history of shipbuilding in Gdynia. Unfortunately due to unfavourable circumstances the enterprise was liquidated in 1925.
7th of October 1926 - a milestone in the history of the shipbuilding industry. The City Council passes an Act for the necessity of establishing a shipbuilding enterprise, defines its shape and the site for its location. The site that until this day is occupied by "Nauta". 9th of May 1927 the enterprise Shipyard "Nauta" Ltd is established.
"Nauta" conducted activity until 31 December 1927 when it was transformed into a joint stock company "Gdynia Shipyard" S.A. The years 1936-1937 had their negative influence on the activity of the enterprise. Despite it, already in 1937 the company was reactivity with majority of the stock being held by Polish shareholders.
Together with the development of the "Gdynia Shipyard" the shipbuilding and shiprepair industry for the fishing fleet developed.
In 1936 the boat building workshop of Franciszek Ledke is taken by the Sea Fisheries Institute. In 1938 a limited liability company of the name "Fishing Yard" is created. The shareholders are: The Sea Fisheries Institute 96% and a forwarding company "Gdynika" 4%. In 1938 the "Fishing Shipyard" employed 120 people. Until the outbreak of the II World War 31 fishing boats were built. During ware time the shipyard served as a school workshop for the "old Gdynia Shipyard" used by the Germans. The war left the enterprise in ruins - 98,5 % of the equipment was destroyed, over 60% of the buildings were demolished and transport means practically were non-existent. Also organizational changes took place. On the site of the old part of the "Gdynia Shipyard" the enterprise "Shipyard No12" belonging to the newly created Association of Polish Shipyards was established. The reopened "Fishing" traditionally was linked to the Sea Fishery Institute.
In the fall of 1947 "Shipyard No 12" was liquidated. In the place GAL Workshops were established, later on transformed into an enterprise "Ship Repairs Service". 
In January 1958 "Gdynia Fishing Shipyard" and "Shiprepairs Service" joined forces and together formed the enterprise "The Gdynia Shiprepair Yard" In 1954 the Yard obtained a floating dock.
But let's turn back to the beginnings of the "Fishing Shipyard". Its main task after war was to rebuild the Polish fishing industry. This meant not only repairs of the existing fishing fleet but above all building new vessels.
According to the first after war plan, the "Three Year Plan" 200 new units were to be build. New techniques and technologies were introduced. Instead of wood steel materials was used. In 1958 in the shipyard's own construction department a totally new type of fishing vessel was designed.
Eleven years later the first fishing vessels of the name "Sola" was built.
During following years the situation of the Polish fishing industry necessitated directing the yard's services at ship repairs. Gradually other shipyards took over the shipbuilding function that began with Franciszek Ledke's workshop.
On 1st of June 1978, in the jubilee year of 50th anniversary of obtaining civic rights by Gdynia, the shipyard changed its name to Shiprepair Yard "Nauta". This return to former prewar name symbolic significance, underlines the enterprise's history and long tradition dating back to the beginnings of the city - a city that at an astounding pace was transformed from a mere fishing village into a major of maritime activities. "Nauta" is old as the city itself.
Today's 'Nauta" is a modem shiprepair yard known to ship owners from all over the world.
In 1976 that is on the 50th Anniversary of the City Rights being granted to Gdynia the Yard has been given back the trade name "NAUTA" it was bearing before the II World War. At the same time the State Government has honoured the yard for its achievements by granting to it a Decoration of the FIRST CLASS WORK STANDARD.
The 1970's were of a big advantage to further growth of the Yard. The modern technologies were implemented and the infrastructure developed parallel to growing scientific background. The Yard became a solid partner of Polish maritime industry. It has entered the World's market in 1973 when close co-operation was achieved with Holland, Italy and other western countries.
According to the statistics, at the beginning of 1980's the 60% of yard's production was exported, mainly to the Soviet Union market (at that time), and the export share to this direction was ever increasing. For this reason a concept of Yard's modernization was brought to attention. Yard's expansion was foreseen so the nearby land was needed. The project has never become a reality.
The 1990's brought a new era, so it was necessary for the Yard to adopt itself to a new free market economy conditions and a hard decisions had to be taken to restructure the company. An intensive action was undertaken in the fields of company's organization and management, and the programme of financial restructure had to be implemented as well. After the Russian market has collapsed the yard had to be re-orientated and export start flowing to the markets of the west. In the effect, the mother company has been split into 13 independent commercial entities, which now co-operate with the Yard in fulfilment of its business commitments. These entities and the Yard share the capital grounds and form the "NAUTA" Group.
At the beginning of 1999 the legal status of the Yard was changed. Following the commercialisation process of the State owned companies, led by the Minister of Treasury, from January 1st 1999, the Yard was transformed into a joint-stock company STOCZNIA REMONTOWA "NAUTA" S.A. On January 1st 1986 the Yard was granted a status of a Defence Industry Company, and according to the Government regulation imposed on October 7th 1999 granting a support to restructure the industry of defence potential and the technical modernization of Polish Defence Forces, the Yard was included to a group of companies of the State Defence Potential working to the security needs of national defence. In addition, on February 1st 2002 the Yard was qualified by the State Cabinet to join the companies of a particular commercial and defence importance. It is important to point out, that apart of a civil commercial production the Yard earlier performed the battle ships' repairs and has built such ships in the past as well. Several tug boats were built in "NAUTA" for Polish Navy and Polish Coast Guard, and among the others the following battle ships underwent repairs: the destroyer ORP "WARSZAWA", the submarines ORP "ORZEL", ORP "WILK", ORP "DZIK", the hydrograph ship ORP "KOPERNIK", the landing crafts and other. The repaired navy ships of former USSR and Russia's Federation contribute to a total of over 255 vessels of various types.
To summarise, after the World War II the "NAUTA" Yard has performed several thousands of different and extensive repairs on various types of ships, it has built over 400 small and medium size vessels for the fleets of fishing and the technical services (as the trawlers, tug boats, ice breakers, dredgers, dump barges and fire-fighting vessels).
And above all, "NAUTA" has specialized in complicated conversions (more than 80 were done) that not only change the length and the breadth of the hull, but a complex replacement and refurbishment of ships' devices and units is a part of our wok, as well as upgrading and finally completely changing the type of ship.
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