Four years since the death of 22-year-old Adam Goodwin, a community of local maritime professionals has begun to blossom, fuelled by the memory of the much-loved former first officer on the Spirit of Bermuda.

Friends of Mr Goodwin have donated $3,000 to The Adam Goodwin Scholarship Fund, set up through the Bermuda Sloop Foundation. The money will ultimately go toward educating the next maritime prodigy to emerge from Spirit’s ranks.

Three Bermudians have already received a maritime education through the scholarship, with one becoming the first local captain of The Venetian. Two Bermudian students are working towards maritime qualifications from Warsash Maritime Academy in Southampton, England.

Since he died in a road accident on South Road, Smith’s, in 2010, there have been many gatherings on the Island in memory of Mr Goodwin. At Christmas, 14 of his closest friends started raising funds for the latest donation.

Andrew Masters, who began the fundraising, said: “Adam was heavily involved with Spirit when he was alive. It was a cause he really, really believed in, and he passed that belief on to all of us.

“The way they help the community, how involved they are in the schools, he was part of that himself. He took a lot of classes out on the boat and taught children how to sail. It’s something he really talked about a lot with us, and really made us believe in the cause as well.”

Adam’s father David Goodwin said: “I know Adam had a heck of a collection of really close friends, and I’ve seen many of them get together on many occasions. It’s delightful to think that they come home for the Christmas holidays and pool together this kind of money for that organisation.

“It is very moving, and I’m impressed that they can still meet and so professionally recognise what Adam was all about, and that’s for young Bermudians to get on with an education and get professional qualifications.”

Masante Maryam, office administrator for the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, said: “Not a minute goes by that these lovely fellows don’t forget him. I think that he lives on, and I think this is something he would appreciate so much more than anyone else.”

The Goodwin family, together with The Bermuda Sloop Foundation, hope they are building a bridge back in time, recreating the community of professional mariners for which Bermuda was once justly proud.

“The Sloop Foundation is a member of the Bermuda International Shipping Association, which keeps close ties with the network of shipping company owners and the marine and ports people on our committee,” said Mr Goodwin. “We probably have about 12 children at this moment moving through the maritime college process, and on that basis we’re seeing a resurgence in people taking an interest in getting professional qualifications in a nautical career.

“It’s enriching to think that more and more interest is evolving, and we’re learning a lot more about our original heritage of being mariners, and the entrepreneurial spirit of our maritime ancestors.

“Adam spent time on Maersk Line, Bernhard Schulte container lines, and other shipping companies in getting his qualification, so it is important to network and develop a close-knit group to let Bermudians know they can be made more worldly by joining a ship, spending some time at sea and getting practical experience.”