The novel tells the story of a rich boy who travels on an ocean liner with his mother. A fortuitous accident t, caused by a blow from the sea, causes him to fall a l water and is rescued by a fishing boat, in which he will spend the summer. There he will learn about the hard daily struggle to survive in the middle of a rough and dangerous ocean, which must be mastered with skill, but the sea also offers a wide horizon of dreams and freedom.