Gamle Hellesund is an
outport in the
Høvåg
Høvåg (historically: ''Høvaag'') is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1865 until its dissolution in 1962. It was located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Li ...
area in the municipality of
Lillesand in
Agder county,
Norway. It is located on the island of ''Helløya'' in the coastal
archipelago about halfway between the village of
Ulvøysund to the southwest and
Åkerøyhamn
Åkerøyhamn is a village in Lillesand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the small island of Ågerøya, about southwest of the village of Brekkestø. Åkerøyhamn is only accessible by boat, with the Blindleia
Bl ...
to the northeast. The small village is only accessible by boat. Historically, the village served as an
outport along the
Blindleia strait for boats coming from the
Skaggerak. Today, Gamle Hellesund stays empty most of the year and is largely used in the summer by tourists.
History
Both
Sverris saga and the
Bagler sagas mention the port of Helgasund respectively in 1197 and 1207, but it is not known whether they are referring to Gamle Hellesund or the outport of
Ny-Hellesund in
Søgne (now part of
Kristiansand).
Dutch books for
maritime pilots
A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots are regarded as skilled professional ...
and
nautical charts from the 16th century both mention ''Olde Hil Sont'' and ''Gammel Hil Sont'', indicating that the outport was known for foreign sailors already then.
Gamle Hellesund had its point of highest activity in the 19th century during the so-called ''
era of sailing ships''. There was a lot of maritime traffic along the coast, and ships from many countries visited the outports.
Southern Norway then had a very active period, with diverse
shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
s and
shipping companies. Because of all the activity, Gamle Hellesund had a
pilot station and a
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
station.
References
{{use dmy dates, date=November 2020
Lillesand
Villages in Agder