Harry Morgan is an honest charter-boat captain who is facing hard times, takes on dangerous cargo to save his boat, support his family, and preserve his dignity. Left in the lurch by a freeloading passenger, Harry starts to entertain the criminal propositions of a sleazy lawyer, as well as the playful come-ons of a cheeky blonde, making a series of compromises that stretch his morality, and his marriage, farther than he'll admit.