The death of Kevin McLaverty this month was a great loss to the traditions of competitive sailing and seagoing in small craft in Ireland, to fine craftsmanship in wood, and to traditional music. McLaverty made significant and lasting contributions to each.
Son of the author Michael McLaverty and his wife Molly, he was reared in Belfast and went to Queen's University, and later Southampton University to study naval architecture, specialising in small craft. He was a remarkable craftsman in wood, building boats and models and even a harp for a musical daughter.
As a young man with an interest in the traditions of seagoing in small craft and their development, he built a kayak and set off one weekend from Donaghadee towards Portpatrick, emulating Eskimo tradition in a craft whose stability depended on steady paddling.
In fog and cross-tide, position uncertain, he turned north in sight of the cliffs of the Scottish coast, reasoning that, if south of Portpatrick he would find it, and if north, on north and into Lough Ryan there would be shelter, with a beach landing in Wigtown.
Thus he became first person to canoe across the North Channel.
A phone call home, a sleep, and he was back late for work on Monday by the ferry, kayak under his arm.
The trip was typical - he had stamina and courage, was confident in his handiwork, saying little, his plans well thought through, and never foolhardy as he had studied and worked at kayak skills. He was the first in Ireland to do an Eskimo roll, in a Belfast swimming pool,
With brother Colm, and third hand "the greaser" Michael Clarke, McLaverty took the 18-foot Waverly Class three-quarter-deck keelboat, Durward, from Carrickfergus around Ireland in 1961. He said it was a cruise, perhaps to Kerry. When he got there - Valentia by Portmagee Sound early one summer misty morning - he announced he was taking her on north and home the other way.
With a repertoire of sea shanties to pass the time - books just got wet - the fast little boat is to this day the smallest to circumnavigate Ireland with crew living on board. Durward is still sailing out of Dún Laoghaire and McLaverty's half model of her is among many other examples of his craftsmanship in his homes at Moville and Killard.
On into the 1960s Kevin was very active in the dinghy revolution that did so much to develop competitive sailing, in the early days of the Irish GP14 Class, and as crew with Keith Paul, Flying Dutchman European Champion 1965. McLaverty represented Ireland in the Finn Class at the 1972 Olympics.
His great Finn rival, Curly Morris, remembers him at his door in Larne some time later with a half model - " was making one for myself and another for you was no bother". That Finn model still has pride of place in the Morris living room.
McLaverty took up a career with Bórd Iascaigh Mhara, and in 1978 moved to Donegal, as principal of the National Fishing College, Greencastle, a new institution that did much to build up a whole range of small craft seamanship skills and knowledge for the Irish fishing fleet, with students from deck crew to skippers, and up to third-level vocational qualifications. His innovations included Asgard voyages for the students. He retired in 1992.
He had a keen interest in Irish traditional coastal craft, including Greencastle yawls and Drontheims, and designed a double-ended open sailing boat, with a sweet sheer, for the Irish Sea Scouts, built in GRP with teak trim with the students.
With Dan McGuinness and others, McLaverty founded Moville Boat Club.
Among the many that he taught how to sail and to tune a boat, ever generous with his great knowledge and always expecting and getting high standards, were John and Donal McGuinness, top GP14 sailors.
But Dan McGuinness and McLaverty, two old fellows, in Saratoga, bested all the younger sailors to win the Greencastle Regatta in 2001. And McLaverty made an elegant model for the former of his beloved Saratoga.
McLaverty played uileann pipes and tin whistle and friends played favourite tunes at his funeral and graveside in Moville.
He is survived by wife Nuala, daughters Aoife and Emer, and sons Neil and Ronan.
Kevin McLaverty: born October 24th, 1936; died December 6th, 2002.