In 1900, a weather-beaten sailboat wanders aimlessly in the Atlantic Ocean far from home. Onboard is William Avery: a broken old skipper convinced the Age of Sail is over, that he has no place in a world taken over by steamships. Lara, a young girl who has fallen overboard from an ocean liner is rescued by Avery. She must convince Avery he can come back from the point of no return.