Jack Carpenter and his wife, Claire, realize his life-long dream by selling the family farm and uprooting their four kids to buy the yacht ''Providence''. Their sons, Gary, Brian, and Timmy, give it an honest try and their daughter, Susan, decides to take a job in a port. Her place is taken by Wally Hudson, who wants a lift to Tahiti and proves to be a spoiled brat without the sailing experience he claimed he had. Shortly after sighting whales, the ''Providence'' is hit by a whole group and sinks too fast for them to think of sending a radio message. Their inflatable raft isn't big enough for all of them to fit in and supplies are only for a day or three. To get 1,000 miles further, where sea traffic is far more likely to find them, Jack designs a sail. Everything proves hard, even the rain they desperately longed for, but Gary, Brian, and Timmy show great courage. Only weeks later does Susan get a search started.
—KGF Vissers