• Nynorsk
  • English

Universitetet i bergen logoUniversity of Bergen

Search form

Lindås locks at the beginning of the 1900s.

Lindås locks at the beginning of the 1900s.(photo: unknown, owner: "Strilen").

LINDÅS LOCKS

At Spjutøy and Straumsosen there are three entrances from Lurefjorden to the fjord basin inside. Right up the end of the 1800s the ferry could not reach further than to Mølna at Spjutøy. At Skallestraumen there was a bark mill driven by the powerful tidal current in the sound. Here was also a store, a bakery and a hostelry place around the middle of the 1800s.

Lindåspollane are the three basins Straumsosen, Spjeldnesosen and Fjellangervågen linked together by long, shallow sounds. The entrances from Lurefjorden to Straumsosen are narrow and unclear, and the tidal currents may be somewhat strong, thus making it difficult to pass by boat. At the end of the 1800s several of the sounds at the southwest side of Spjutøy were expanded, and so making it possible to enter right into Lindås and Fjellangervågen with the ferry. This was an important milestone for these communities.

But there might still be difficulties when the current was strong in the sound at Mølna. The boats were obliged to lie and wait at Pinebenken (the rack) until the current had turned with the tide. Therefore a lock was built here, at the same time as the bark mill was closed down. The lock was completed in 1908 and was in operation until 1963. There are only two such sea locks in Norway. The other one lies in Skjoldstraumen in Rogaland. In cooperation with the Norwegian Coastal Administration, Lindås municipality want to restore the lock and put it into operation. This will improve safety for boats going through the current to enter the attractive recreation area at Lindåspollane.

  • Lindås locks today

Lindås locks today (Svein Nord).

  • Kaland, P.E. (1974) Ble lyngheiene skapt av fimbulvinteren eller ved menneskeverk?. Forskningsnytt 1974(4), s. 7-14.
  • Nordal, G. M. (1990) Forprosjekt for vern og framtidig bruk av Lindåsslusene, Spjotøy, Lindås kommune i Hordaland. Bergen.