Boats in My Blood (Harbour, 2016) is the autobiography of Barrie Farrell, a prolific boat builder. The book is not only about boats, but shares Farrell's memories of 1950s Pender Harbour when it was still a fishing village, his battle with the bottle, and his bad business dealings. But most of all, Boats in My Blood depicts Farrell's character and good nature and a life devoted to the art of the boat.

Farrell was born in North Vancouver in 1934 and built a popular line of eponymous fiberglass boats in various locales around the south coast of B.C. until the late 1990s. He lives in Nanaimo and even at the age of 81 is still working on boats.

BOOKS

Boats in My Blood (Harbour, 2016) $24.95 978-1-55017-755-8

[BCBW 2016]