Haycraft family honours late Peter Haycraft through monetary gift to HLSCC
The family, according to a press release from HLSCC today, July 12, 2023, pledged a monetary gift to fund paid apprenticeships for the enrolled participants of the College’s Marine Professional Training (MPT) programme, in the first instance.
According to HLSCC, each cohort consists of twelve (12) students who will complete ten (10) consecutive weeks of full-time and focused workshops across six (6) certification modules, and eight (8) consecutive weeks of apprenticeship. This donation was further enhanced by several small donations made by the apprenticeship hosts for MPT’s Cohort 5.
More assistance by Haycraft family
The family also teamed up with Nanny Cay to donate three 40ft. containers to support the continued instruction of Fire Prevention and Basic Fire Fighting, which is a module covered in the College’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers course. The containers are currently on-site on the College’s South Campus.
President of HLSCC, Dr Richard W.E. Georges expressed the College’s gratitude to the Haycraft family, “I am delighted that the Haycraft family has chosen to support our Marine and Maritime programmes in honour of Mr Peter Haycraft. Mr Haycraft has an enduring philanthropic legacy in the Territory, and these gifts to the College ensure that a generation of Virgin Islanders will benefit from that spirit of generosity.”
Businessman & seaman
The family shared that after leaving school at the age of 16, Mr Peter Haycraft joined the Merchant Navy as an apprentice and spent the next 10 years working on a variety of vessels, from oil tankers to coastal trading ships, sailing all over the world and at the same time studying for his Master’s Ticket.
He came to Tortola as a captain of The Youth of Tortola, running the ferry between Tortola and St. Thomas. He was instrumental in the development of direct shipping from Europe and North America to Tortola before Port Purcell was constructed. This involved off-loading cargo from vessels anchored in Road Harbour, which would then be man-handled onto the ferry dock and transported to the warehouses.
In 1962, he purchased a 57ft Motor Fishing vessel in the United Kingdom (UK) and subsequently brought the Kilros across the Atlantic to Tortola. A little later, he brought three ‘lighters’ (barges) from Antigua to complete the fleet of vessels necessary to carry goods from ship to shore, and so started Island Shipping and Trading Co. He was the only local person qualified to become a Harbour Pilot and performed this duty for many years, including the Royal Yacht Britannia with the late Queen Elizabeth on board.
As Road Town Wholesale Co. developed and grew, he was determined to involve his local staff, and made it possible for them to become shareholders and to continue their education and training overseas. He was never afraid of hard work or long hours, and expected the same from his staff, many of whom have benefitted from his advice and mentorship and have remained loyal to the company.
They said, “We are supporting this programme to ensure its continuity as we believe in its importance in the future of the British Virgin Islands.”
To learn more about the College’s marine and maritime programmes and to become a donor of the College, contact the HLSCC Director of Marine and Maritime Studies, Ms Susan Zaluski at szaluski@hlscc.edu.vg and the HLSCC Director of Institutional Advancement, Ms Yvonne Crabbe at ycrabbe@hlscc.edu.vg respectively.
Mr Haycraft passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday, May 29, 2021.
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14 Responses to “Haycraft family honours late Peter Haycraft through monetary gift to HLSCC”
Those other big business men or family need to take a page out of the Haycraft family book.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Thank you to the Haycraft family for continuing his legacy.