Darryl Hagar discusses his book, The Man Overboard.

The Man Overboard, How a Merchant Marine Officer Survived the Raging Storm of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, is a vivid account of one man’s tumultuous 25 year round-the-world odyssey, shrouded in the haze of drugs and a sea of alcohol, punctuated by indulgence, abuse, fear, illicit sex, violence, and frequent jail time. Clean and sober for four years, and retired from the shipping industry since 2005, Hagar has dedicated his life to helping others find the path to recovery through public speaking, and leading group sessions in colleges, churches, high schools, prisons, hospital recovery centers and other settings. A broken relationship, nearly losing custody of his son, and alienation from his family and friends are just some of the costs Hagar pays and portrays faithfully in his 500 page memoir The Man Overboard. Hagar is passionate about his recovery and committed to helping others find the strength and support needed to reclaim their lives from the insidious affects of addiction. As a motivational speaker, Darryl has addressed hundreds of groups and shared his message of empowerment and responsibility. A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, class of ‘85, Hagar went to sea as an Able Body Seaman with Military Sealift Command where his role focused on ship maintenance, maintaining mooring lines as the ship’s cargo was loaded and unloaded, and steering the ship in and out of port. After a year-long stint with Crest Oil Tankers, in 1987 he moved on to Maritime Overseas Corporation and gained the designation Third Mate where he was responsible for standing the bridge watch, supervising the able body seaman, ensuring shipboard safety practices were adhered to and was in charge of running the ship’s pumps and valves during the loading and unloading process. Promoted to Second Mate in 1990 Hagar attained his professional goal of becoming the ship’s navigator. The navigator’s primary role is laying out the voyage, maintaining charts, radar and other electronics and in