Svinøy fyrstasjon
Encyclopedia
Svinøy fyr is a fully automated lighthouse
situated on the island of Svinøy in the sea off the Stad
peninsula. It is located in the municipality of Herøy
in Møre og Romsdal
county, on the western coast of Norway
. The island lies within sight of the mainland and it is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the nearest island. The island of Skorpa (in Sande
) is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to the east. The island is 300 metres (984.3 ft) east to west and 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) north to south. The island rises 35 metres (114.8 ft) out of the sea and is exposed to severe climatic conditions year round.
A lighthouse commission of 1851 recommended placing a lighthouse on Svinøy but found conditions too difficult to implement such plans. As an interim measure, a marker was placed on the island. The plans for a full lighthouse were realized in the following decades, and on 1 September 1905, the lighthouse was finished and lit, with further construction finished the following year.
Quarters for several families were built, but the isolated island was never a popular station. At the peak, three families lived on the island, growing vegetable gardens and employing a tutor for their children.
During World War II
, German troops were stationed at the lighthouse, and in 1940, Allied bomb raids put the light out of commission. It was repaired after the war and reopened in 1946.
By 1952, it became apparent that no crew were willing to be permanently stationed on the island. A crew of four was stationed there in a shift arrangement, and the shift arrangements eased in 1970 when helicopters were used to ferry staff and supplies between the island and the mainland. In addition to lighthouse duties, the staff also conducted meteorological measurements on an ongoing basis. At one time, goats were brought onto the island to provide a hobby for the inhabitants.
On the 100th anniversary of the original lighting of the firehouse, the island was depopulated as the light was fully automated. Although many of the original buildings have been torn down, the station still includes several buildings and can now sleep 10 in comfortable but modest circumstances.
Since 2005 the company 62 Nord has offered overnight arrangements for small groups.
surveys of the island were conducted in 1928 and 2005. The plant diversity had increased in the intervening years, possibly due to weeds being imported when inhabitants planted vegetable gardens. Wind and salt spray limit the natural vegetation to lichen (Xanthoria parietina
and Ramalina
cuspidata) and grasses (Armeria maritima
and more).
Located about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southwest of the renowned bird island of Runde
, Svinøy also attracts a rich diversity of birds, including puffin
s.
. The climate on the island is typically coastal, with precipitation of about 780 millimetres (30.7 in) a year, somewhat less than what is typical on Norway's western coast. Precipitation measurements are complicated by high winds and sea spray.
The island ties for the Norwegian record for sustained winds
, at 46 metres per second (102.9 mph); with gusts considerably higher. Waves are known to wash over the entire island.
So difficult are landing conditions that the island has no piers. There are three landing sites on different sides of the island, and on one, a crane pulls boats out of the water. A boathouse built in 1905 lasted only one year before it was claimed by the sea and rebuilt in a concrete well above the surface the year after.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
situated on the island of Svinøy in the sea off the Stad
Stad (peninsula)
Stad or Stadlandet is a peninsula in the municipality of Selje in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.The name is sometimes also written as Stadt, Statt or Stadlandet–not to be confused with the similar German word Stadt. The d in Stad is pronounced in Norwegian as a t. The Stad peninsula has a...
peninsula. It is located in the municipality of Herøy
Herøy, Møre og Romsdal
Herøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the town of Fosnavåg on the island of Bergsøya. The industrial area of Eggesbønes is located south of Fosnavåg on the same island...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, on the western coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The island lies within sight of the mainland and it is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the nearest island. The island of Skorpa (in Sande
Sande, Møre og Romsdal
Sande is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Larsnes on the island of Gurskøya.-General information:...
) is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to the east. The island is 300 metres (984.3 ft) east to west and 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) north to south. The island rises 35 metres (114.8 ft) out of the sea and is exposed to severe climatic conditions year round.
History
Travel accounts from the 18th century tell that local farmers would put pigs out to pasture on the island during the summer, hence the name Svinøy (swine island); this oral tradition was confirmed by a historian in 1931, but it seems likely that goats were put on the island in the summer.A lighthouse commission of 1851 recommended placing a lighthouse on Svinøy but found conditions too difficult to implement such plans. As an interim measure, a marker was placed on the island. The plans for a full lighthouse were realized in the following decades, and on 1 September 1905, the lighthouse was finished and lit, with further construction finished the following year.
Quarters for several families were built, but the isolated island was never a popular station. At the peak, three families lived on the island, growing vegetable gardens and employing a tutor for their children.
During World War II
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, German troops were stationed at the lighthouse, and in 1940, Allied bomb raids put the light out of commission. It was repaired after the war and reopened in 1946.
By 1952, it became apparent that no crew were willing to be permanently stationed on the island. A crew of four was stationed there in a shift arrangement, and the shift arrangements eased in 1970 when helicopters were used to ferry staff and supplies between the island and the mainland. In addition to lighthouse duties, the staff also conducted meteorological measurements on an ongoing basis. At one time, goats were brought onto the island to provide a hobby for the inhabitants.
On the 100th anniversary of the original lighting of the firehouse, the island was depopulated as the light was fully automated. Although many of the original buildings have been torn down, the station still includes several buildings and can now sleep 10 in comfortable but modest circumstances.
Since 2005 the company 62 Nord has offered overnight arrangements for small groups.
Flora and fauna
BotanicBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
surveys of the island were conducted in 1928 and 2005. The plant diversity had increased in the intervening years, possibly due to weeds being imported when inhabitants planted vegetable gardens. Wind and salt spray limit the natural vegetation to lichen (Xanthoria parietina
Xanthoria parietina
Xanthoria parietina is a foliose, or leafy, lichen. It has wide distribution, and many common names such as common orange lichen, yellow scale, maritime sunburst lichen and shore lichen. It can be found near the shore on rocks or walls , and also on inland rocks, walls, or tree bark...
and Ramalina
Ramalina
Ramalina is a genus of lichens belonging to the suborder Lecanorineae. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains over 240 species....
cuspidata) and grasses (Armeria maritima
Armeria maritima
Armeria maritima is the botanical name for a species of flowering plant.It is a popular garden flower, known by several common names, including thrift, sea thrift, and sea pink. The plant has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower...
and more).
Located about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southwest of the renowned bird island of Runde
Runde
Runde is an island in the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island has a population of about 90 people, and it's connected by the Runde Bridge to the island of Remøya to the south....
, Svinøy also attracts a rich diversity of birds, including puffin
Puffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
s.
Climate
Weather conditions have been measured since 1955, and currently the island has an automated weather station under the Norwegian Coastal AdministrationNorwegian Coastal Administration
Norwegian Coastal Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the water transport infrastructure along the 92,000 km Coast of Norway. It is responsible for coastal navigation infrastructure, pilotage and harbour and port infrastructure, including lighthouses...
. The climate on the island is typically coastal, with precipitation of about 780 millimetres (30.7 in) a year, somewhat less than what is typical on Norway's western coast. Precipitation measurements are complicated by high winds and sea spray.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature (ºC) | 3.0 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 10.1 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 9.0 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 7.1 |
| Precipitation(mm) | 55 | 42 | 49 | 38 | 36 | 46 | 62 | 79 | 105 | 95 | 98 | 75 | 780 |
The island ties for the Norwegian record for sustained winds
Tropical cyclone scales
Tropical systems are officially ranked on one of several tropical cyclone scales according to their maximum sustained winds and in what oceanic basin they are located...
, at 46 metres per second (102.9 mph); with gusts considerably higher. Waves are known to wash over the entire island.
So difficult are landing conditions that the island has no piers. There are three landing sites on different sides of the island, and on one, a crane pulls boats out of the water. A boathouse built in 1905 lasted only one year before it was claimed by the sea and rebuilt in a concrete well above the surface the year after.