Farewell to a beloved commander
Knysna’s crusty old sea dog, Commander Steve Eriksen of the Knysna Sea Cadets, might have recently passed the command of his unit over to his successor, but that doesn’t mean his cadets have seen the last of him, he says.
Since 1996, Eriksen has been involved with the Knysna cadets, and for even longer his love of anything naval has dominated his dreams, his life, and even brought him the love of his life. The passing over of his unit to Lieutenant Charl Lamini during a parade at Sea Cadet Training Ship Knysna on 24 November will also not keep him away from his beloved unit.
Born to sail
The 73-year-old Eriksen was born as the eldest of three boys to a father entrenched in the navy, in Durban near the end of World War II, in 1945. “My father Ronnie was in command of a naval vessel heading to Simonstown when I was born. Apparently he hopped straight onto a train when he docked to see whether his newborn had balls,” Eriksen chuckles.
Growing up, he says, “I was totally brainwashed by my dad. Every book or gift he ever gave me was about the sea or the navy.”
At 14 years old, though, his dream would be shattered, albeit only momentarily.
“I was to be sent to the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, UK, but before that I had to undergo a medical. I found out I was colour blind and that was the end of my dream,” he recalls from his little home on the shore of the Knysna lagoon, dressed in his full Sea Cadet attire.
Inching closer to a dream
His father, still adamant that his firstborn should complete his studies abroad, sent him to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland where he would graduate with a degree in commerce in the late ‘60s. After working for the Ford Motor Company’s head office in Essex for a year, Eriksen returned to South Africa around 1971 to work in the family business. “My father started Eriksen Consolidated, one of the biggest Ford dealerships in South Africa at the time.”
His dreams to head out to sea never left him, however, and soon he applied to Wemmer Pan Naval Base in Johannesburg. “But they didn’t want graduates, they wanted normal seamen,” Eriksen scoffs. Again despondent that his dream would fall by the wayside, he got a surprise call from the cadet and naval officer at the base that would put his dream back on track.
A dream takes form
“He called me up and said, ‘Eriksen, I believe you want to serve. We need you at the Vereeniging branch on Monday’, and that was that. I reported to the Sea Cadet Association to which the Sea Cadet Core reported.”
At this point his career with the Sea Cadets (never ask Eriksen how his “sea scouts” are doing – “We are bloody cadets!”) started taking off. At first he was appointed treasurer, and a year later became president. “I think this was around 1980,” he tries to recall.
Coming to Knysna in 1995 – his family had ties here and true to his Norse forefathers he had the urge to explore – Eriksen turned to selling cars for a while, but after discovering a “junk-rigged boat” at the end of Union Street that belonged to a cadet unit “like a little secret”, he knew where he needed to be.
“I started as a sublieutenant, was soon promoted to lieutenant, and after distinguishing myself, was promoted to lieutenant commander. I started with 17 cadets under me, and now we have more than 90.”
Winds of change
Among changes he brought about was getting the girls’ uniform to include pants instead of skirts, “because some of those cadet boys were quite naughty, peeking up their skirts while they rowed”. He also got involved with primary schools to increase cadet numbers. “To this day, parents and teachers say that when there are a few cadets in class, the rest of the children are better behaved.”
Under Eriksen’s command the Knysna Sea Cadets would increase their number of pulling (rowing) boats and sailing dinghies, and would also be recognised as some of the best in the country. “I guess I was a maverick. If I saw something I thought was wrong, I tried to change it,” he says, his withered features revealing a glimpse of pride. It would also be with the Knysna cadets that he would meet his wife Melony, who was merely an ensign under his command – until he caught sight of her in a “very enchanting bikini” one day at a beach braai. With a giggle Eriksen recalls, “I stood next to her and said ‘My word ensign, but you are very attractive.’ We had a full naval wedding in 2011.”
Highlight of his career?
What Eriksen loves most about being part of the cadets are “the kids”, he says. “Most of the high points in my career came from them. They really got to my heart,” he says, adding that he would still be helping out for as long as he can.
During the parade was when Eriksen would receive a third stripe on his lapel, having been promoted to full commander. About 50 of his previous cadets attended the ceremony.
“You could have knocked me over with a feather after I got that third stripe because I was told early on in my career I would never get it – I was absolutely thrilled. I was just as touched that so many of my previous cadets came to the event.”