Fast Hands begins when a youthful "adventure" goes awry - it turns out that there are serious consequences for breaking into large yachts. When a Seattle judge gives 16-year-old Gus Pedersen an unwelcome choice between fishing with his uncle in Ketchikan, Alaska or spending time in a juvenile facility, Gus heads north.
However, after only two days on his uncle's boat, Gus is already thinking about jumping ship. Gus drives himself crazy wondering what could have saved him from being sent to fish with three old Norwegians who think a 19-hour workday is normal?
Yet, the season in Alaska begins to change Gus, forcing him to grow up fast. He realizes that if anything had gone differently, he never would have met Claire, who is running from her own troubles.