Join Barrie Farrell for a reading and book signing for his new book Boats In My Blood: A Life in Boat Building at the Museum at Campbell River on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.
As the son of legendary boat builder Allen Farrell, Barrie Farrell built his first boat at 13 (an eight-foot row boat) using nothing more than an old hammer with one claw, a dull handsaw and a rusty block plane. He first gained recognition for his boat building work amongst the salmon fleet fishermen who benefited from Farrell’s speedy designs; when having a faster boat meant quicker trips to short fishery openings along the coast.
In Boats in my Blood, Farrell tells the story of his life, the highs (innovative boat designing, steady work) and lows (bad business dealings and over enthusiastic nights on the town).
Through sharing his memories of growing up in Pender Harbour, North Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Farrell provides an entertaining portrait of fishing village life in the 1940s and 1950s and his sharp eye for detail and humour makes for an engaging read. Farrell currently lives in Nanaimo and, at the age of 81, is still working on boats.
For more information about this event or to register, contact the Museum at Campbell River at (250) 287-3103.
Cost of the session is $7 per person.