FREDRIKSSON KARL AUGUST

 

Fredriksson Karl August, Albatross, was born in Föglö, Åland, on 23 September 1876 and died in Mariehamn on 1 February 1967.

He went to sea in 1890 as cook-deckhand in the schooner LINDA of Föglö, sailing in Baltic trade.

In 1892 he joined the Föglö barquentine ASTREA as steward and the following year he served as deckhand in the same ship, sailing in the North Sea.

He then served as O.S. in the barque ST MARHEUS of Lemland.

After 5 years in foreign ships, he studied for his Mate's certificate in Mariehamn.

He obtained the post of Chief Mate in the 3- masted iron full-rigger MERMERUS, belonging to Robert Mattsson. He spent almost 2 years in that ship, circumnavigating the world and rounding Cape Horn three times.

In 1906 K.A Fredriksson gained his Master's certificate, and in 1907 he became Master of Robert Mattsson's 4-masted wooden barque AVONIA.

He commanded the ironfull-rigger THOMASINA, owned by August Troberg, for 6 years. On his first voyage, in 1909, he sailed the THOMASINA through the Strait of Le Maire to shorten the rounding of Cape Horn. That was his third rounding of Cape Horn westwards. All in all he rounded Cape Horn 10 times.

He also visited the northern polar tracts, taking a cargo of timber from the White Sea to Lourenço Marques in 1913.

On one occasion in Caldera, Chile, the cook and steward both deserted, and the crew refused to go to sea until K.A Fredriksson saved the situation by offering to act as cook as Master, with the help of a German lad.

In 1915, the THOMASINA was sunk by the Germans, while K.A. Fredriksson was at home on vacation.

In 1916 Troberg offered him the position of Master of the steel barque AUGUST, and Fredriksson accepted on condition that he could take his newly-married wife with him. On 20 April, while on her way from England to Texas, the AUGUST

was stopped by a German U-Boat, which ordered all those on board to leave the ship and to take the lifeboats. The AUGUST was then blown up, but all her crew were subsequently rescued. Photographs showing the sinking of the AUGUST are now in the Åland Maritime Museum.

In 1918 Fredriksson worked as Manager of AB Baltic, a shipyard and shipping company in Lemland. He subsequently commanded the full-rigger SAMOENA, owned by J. Zachariassen, the 4- masted barque PORT CALEDONIA, of the same owner and the 4-masted schooner MOZART, belonging to Hugo Lundqvist..

After serving as Master of the salvage steamer SALVATOR, Fredriksson finally left the sea, and commenced his long service as Office Manager for Gustaf Erikson.

He retired with a pension in 1953.

K.A.Fredriksson was one of the founder members of the Åland Islands Section of the A.I.C.H and was made an Honorary Member.

A long account of K.A. Fredriksson's seafaring life,, written in Swedish by Björn O. Svensson, appears in the Swedish publication Longitude -tidskrift frän de sju haven -29 (A Magasine of the Seven Seas ).

The above photograph is taken from that article. It shows the saloon of the thomasina, with Fredriksson seated left.