A cast of sturdy characters' existentialist of the working classes' -senior ordinary seaman O'Rourke 'Western Ocean man and would be hard knock'; the murderous Captain Jake; Busti the elderly Egyptian galley boy; drunken Chief Mate Cartrite; Dingbat the ancient alcoholic Welsh engineer; Hesta the Padre's wife, and Clarrie the ancient and classically camp chief steward re seen through the eyes of first trip apprentice James Howard and his dotty inspiration Prudence back in Britain as James picks up the ethics of his nautical trade.