Boats in My Blood

A Life in Boatbuilding

The Farrell name is respected all along the British Columbia coast. Barrie’s father, Allen Farrell, was a much loved eccentric who created offshore sailing vessels from beachcombed lumber using only basic hand tools.

Barrie built his first boat in his early teens using only a dull handsaw, a rusty block plane and an old hammer with one claw. Despite his Grade Six education, Barrie became one of the leading innovators when fibreglass first became available. His designs incorporated flowing curves and shaped details that were not possible with wood. Barrie was one of the first to realize that modern fishboats needed to be fast, and consequently, his gillnetters and trollers dominated the BC salmon fleet in the 1970s and 1980s. By the late 1990s, he had built over 300 commercial and pleasure boats and left a profound stamp on West Coast boat building.

Boats in My Blood isn’t just about the boats. Barrie also shares the story of his life-the highs and the lows. His memories of growing up in Pender Harbour provide an amusing picture of fishing village life in the 1950s, and his sharp eye for character makes for many amusing anecdotes. He is frank about his periodic bouts of overzealous partying and his bad business dealings, but through it all his engaging character and unquenchable good nature shine through. Boats in My Blood is a fascinating chronicle of a life devoted to the art of the boat.