Andrew Fagan, the rocker and lead singer of The Mockers, joined us for a chat about his latest book, ‘Swirly World: Lost at Sea’.
This triple threat - musician, writer, and sailor - sat down with Nik Brown to share the incredible journey aboard his beloved boat, Swirly World in Perpetuity, as he attempted to break the world record for ‘The Smallest Boat to Sail Solo Around the World’ via the Great Capes.
At just 23 years old, Andrew bought a 16-foot, 10-inch boat with the dream of travelling the world on his own.
He recalled his solo Tasman race in '94, where he set a world record sailing to Australia. In 2022, Andrew set off once again, this time with the ambitious goal of sailing around the globe.
He managed to pack 14 months’ worth of supplies onto his tiny boat, saying: “It took me weeks to put it all in.”
After smooth sailing for about 30 days, “the most unfortunate outcome” unfolded, though Andrew was careful not to reveal too much.
Disaster struck when Swirly World collided with a container ship halfway to Cape Horn.
Nik, on the other hand, sees the silver lining, pointing out that since Fagan made it to the interview, he must have “succeeded in a way.”
“I succeeded in saving myself, but it was an unfortunate outcome” he confirmed.
I was pushing the envelope… we had a lot of bad weather and the high latitude was dangerous.
Whether Swirly World is still with us, you’ll have to read the book to find out…
Want to win a copy? Head over to our Facebook page to enter our giveaway!
Swirly World: Lost at Sea is part sailing adventure, part memoir, and the third installment in Andrew’s beloved trilogy, following ‘Swirly World: the Solo Voyages’ and ‘Swirly World Sails South’.
Fagan says the book is written for both seasoned sailors and newbies with all the sailing info, but certainly not a “boring” tale.
To him, Swirly World is more than just a possession - it’s a 37-year love affair.
“It’s taken me to so many places, and I’ve weathered so much bad - and good - weather too,” he says. “There’s obviously a big connection with the boat.”
If you haven’t already, listen to the full chat with Andrew Fagan above.
