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 cu...