Sassluis Enkhuizen
The monumental lock was built in 1827, separating the city from the former Zuiderzee. To better protect the city of Enkhuizen, two new sets of lock gates were installed on the north side in January 2022.
Port city of Enkhuizen
In the17th century, Enkhuizen was one of the most prosperous cities in the Netherlands. It was the largest herring city in the region. The entire fishing fleet of the Noorderkwartier departed from Enkhuizen and brought their catch ashore there. In addition, a regional branch of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was also located in the city.
Until the Sassluis was built, Enkhuizen did not have a lock. This meant that water from the Zuiderzee could flow freely in and out of the city. Between 1817 and 1819, the first plans were made for the construction of a sea lock, but these were not immediately implemented.
On February 4, 1825, Enkhuizen was threatened with flooding during a storm surge in the Zuiderzee area. Thanks to the residents of Enkhuizen raising the quays and the wind dying down in the afternoon, the city was spared this disaster. This storm made it clear that a new lock was urgently needed to ensure the city's water safety. The Sassluis was built in 1827 according to a design and under the supervision of Rijkswaterstaat, but was subsequently managed and owned by the municipality of Enkhuizen. In 1995, the lock was transferred to the then Hoogheemraadschap van Uitwaterende Sluizen (Water Board of Drainage Locks).
Schutsluis
The Sassluis is a protective lock that safeguards the low-lying inner harbor (the Oude Haven) and the surrounding area of Enkhuizen against high water levels on the IJsselmeer. The original design of the lock consisted of a lock chamber with two sets of doors on either side. The lock enabled ships to bridge the difference in water level between the inland and outer waters. Before the restoration began in 2021-2022, only the high flood doors on the outside were still in place. The other three sets of doors had been removed.
New doors for the lock
In 2017, the Sassluis lock no longer met current safety requirements. In the event of a superstorm with high water levels (half a metre sea level), there was no certainty that the lock would be able to hold back the water sufficiently. It therefore had to be improved. In 2020, the lock was drained so that its structural condition could be inspected and its exact dimensions determined. As a result, it was decided to equip the lock with two new sets of wooden lock gates (each weighing 10,000 kg). These doors were installed on the inner head (north side) and close automatically at high tide. This is done via the capstans on the lock wall. The old flood doors in the outer head were hoisted out of the lock and serviced.
The solid hardwood lock gates were (partly) custom-made by hand in Kampen. The gates were then transported by water to Enkhuizen.
The two defective sluice gates in the lock's bypass sewer also had to be repaired. In the past, the bypass sewer was used to fill the lock to the desired water level in order to bridge the difference. However, the sluice gates in the bypass sewers no longer closed properly, allowing outside water to flow into the lock. In addition, the jointing, brickwork, and natural stone were repaired in many places. The work was completed on April 1, 2022, just in time for the sailing season.
Sassluis area
Right next to the lock, on the west side, stands the Drommedaris. This was the original gateway to the city. The building was constructed as a defensive structure at the entrance to the Old Harbor. Since 1996, the storage facility for the flood barriers has been located next to the lock. The lock can be closed by lowering stacked flood barriers into a trench in the lock chamber. The Rijksgetijmeterhuisje (tide gauge house) is also located there. This house was built in 1880 by the Department of Waterways and Public Works. It was used to measure the water levels in the Zuiderzee with a self-recording gauge.
