A ship captain loses his ship and most of his crew in a shipwreck in the Caribbean. Returning home, he has a guilty conscience and nightmares about what happened, which drives him away from his wife. He is given command of a new merchant ship bound for Singapore when its captain is injured shortly before departure. On the new ship he is treated with distrust and hostility by the captain, who hopes to be promoted to captain, and by the crew, who are used to lax discipline.