The lock at Lindås

© Pictures by Ole-Jakob Aarland

Lurefjorden and the Lindås Basin is connected by Kjerringstraumen and Skallestraumen on the north side and Flatstraumen on the south side of Mølleholmen. The tidal streams are very strong in this area, and the difference in waterlevel is big. This made it difficult for sailers to come into the Lindås Basin in the old days. There were no roads on land in this area so the people depended on water transport. On the seaside of Kjerringstraumen a waiting quay was built and called Pinebenken. Here sailors often had to wait many hours for the right stream to let them pass into the Lindås Basin.
Later, when steamers were used, they easiily could pass Kjerringstraumen, but both Skallestraumen and Flatstraumen were rather narrow and there were plenty of shallows.

In the 1870ies the local people asked the government for money to make Skallestraumen good for steamboat traffic. Money were granted and the works in Skallestraumen and in Kjerringstraumen were performed during 1880 to 1882. At the same time works cleared Haukåsstraumen between the Lindås Basin and Fjellangervågen. From then on steamers could get in to Vågseidet and Myking. But as the steamers grew bigger and bigger more works had to be done.

In 1888 the first petiton for a lock at Skallestraumen were made. During the 1880ies several plans were made, but it was not until 1901 the final plan was presented. The plan was to blast a lock through Mølleholmen - The Mill Island, and to dredge Kjerringstraumen and Haukåsstraumen while Skallestraumen was to be closed as public fairway. The size of the lock was decided to be 33 meter long, 7,6 meter wide and 3,5 meter deep which would make it possible for the steamer Rolf to pass. But Rolf sank before the works hade started and the new steamer was much longer so the lock was made five meters longer to 38 meters. The works with the new lock was soon started and in 1908 it was opened for traffic. The old miller at Mølleholmen was appointed lock keeper!

The Lindås lock has two pairs of gates at each end of the lock. These gates points in opposite directions to each others as the waterlevels on the two sides of the lock depends on the tidal water. At flow the water is higher at the seaside and at ebb the water is higher on the shore side.
The Lindås lock is one of two sealocks in Norway. The other one is situated at Skjoldastraumen by Haugesund which was also ready for use in 1908. But that one has been in constant all the time since then. The Lindås-lock was closed in 1963.

The gates must be lifted every second year for maintenance and cleaning. This was done for the last time in 1951. In 1963 all gates were left all open and boats could pass through only at still waters. The old ship Granvin passed the lock in 2000. The area around Lindås Basin and Fjellangervågen now has roads and shipping is nowadays not essential for transports.

In 1999 a project was started with the aim to once again open the lock as well as the old sheltered fairway from Bergen northwards to Fensfjorden. This is a cooperation between the government, the county, local councils and businesses in the area.
The Lindås lock will be repaired for almost 6 million kroner. The increasing number of leasure boats is one of the reasons for the repair. The Lindås sea locks was planned to be repaired within 2003, but later the repair work was planned to be finished in 2006. The lock gates are now on land for repair. The lock basin will be cleared up.
There is hope that the now private road over Spjotøy north of Skallestraumen to the locks will be opened to the public. The lock area will be opened for tourists. The leasure boat people can look forward to a unique attraction.

Jahn Børe Jahnsen with help from Ole-Jakob Aarland

Do send comments or further information to Bosse Arnholm!

This page was modified at 12-08-06