Captain Slocum of the Hesperus arrives on shore in a New England village to find that the girl he loves has been tricked into marrying John Hazzard in his absence. Heartbroken and bitter, the captain, with his daughter, Gale, and second mate, Singapore Jack, returns to sea. He rescues from a burning vessel John Hazzard, Jr., son of his rival, and though he tries to keep the boy from Gale, a romance develops. To separate the lovers, he puts his daughter ashore with her aunt. Discovering the captain's treachery, the boy swims to shore and joins her; the captain retrieves her and puts to sea in the face of storm warnings. When the storm breaks in all its fury, the captain lashes Gale to the mast, which then is washed overboard; but young Hazzard rescues her, and they find happiness together.