A cast of sturdy characters representing main stereotypes of the working class’ features: senior ordinary seaman O’Rourke ‘Western Ocean man’; the murderous Captain Jake; Busti, the elderly Egyptian galley boy; drunken Chief Mate Cartrite; Dingbat the ancient alcoholic Welsh engineer; Hesta, the Padre’s wife, and Clarrie the ancient and classically camp chief steward. All of them seen through the eyes of first trip apprentice James Howard and his dotty inspiration Prudence back in Britain as James picks up the ethics of his nautical trade.