Kulleseidkanalen is a canal system that cuts through the island of Bømlo, connecting the eastern and western sides. It was built between 1854 and 1856, specifically to give fishing boats safe passage to the herring grounds around Espevær without having to round the exposed southern tip of the island.
At the time, this was a major infrastructure project. The herring fisheries were enormously profitable, and the dangerous open-sea route to Espevær was costing lives and boats every season.
The canal was expanded between 1927 and 1935, making it deeper and wider. It actually consists of three connected sections - east, middle, and west - with a total length of 1.7 kilometres.
Today it is a quiet guest harbour with a grocery store and a fuel station. Pleasure boats use it in summer. If you happen to be on Bømlo and see a narrow waterway with stone-lined banks cutting straight through the landscape, this is it: a 170-year-old shortcut that once mattered enormously and now mostly serves sailors looking for a calm overnight stop.
At the time, this was a major infrastructure project. The herring fisheries were enormously profitable, and the dangerous open-sea route to Espevær was costing lives and boats every season.
The canal was expanded between 1927 and 1935, making it deeper and wider. It actually consists of three connected sections - east, middle, and west - with a total length of 1.7 kilometres.
Today it is a quiet guest harbour with a grocery store and a fuel station. Pleasure boats use it in summer. If you happen to be on Bømlo and see a narrow waterway with stone-lined banks cutting straight through the landscape, this is it: a 170-year-old shortcut that once mattered enormously and now mostly serves sailors looking for a calm overnight stop.