Charley Morgan lost his faith in mankind and in God during the Vietnam War. Failing to put his life back together after his return to civilian life, he outfits his sailboat and launches an odyssey to oblivion by sailing aimlessly from one island to the next. At the lowest point in his life, Charley sails into an island where he meets a young woman who has inherited a defunct rum distillery. She begs Charley for help in getting it operational again. He reluctantly agrees and suddenly finds himself in a life-and-death struggle with pirates. Only after losing everything does he slowly find his life taking on new meaning and ultimate salvation.
