In 1834, Charles Stewart (Alan Ladd), the spoiled, dissolute son of a shipping magnate, is shanghaied aboard the Pilgrim, among of his daddy's own boats. He stumbled upon a long, hellish sea boat beneath the tyrannical rule of Captain Francis Thompson (Howard Da Silva), assisted by his first mate, Amazeen (William Bendix). One of the crew mates is Richard Henry Dana Jr. (Brian Donlevy).