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The plot concerns a young, rich and spoiled brat named Harvey Chaney Jr. Washed overboard from his steamship and rescued by fishermen, Harvey cannot convince them to take him to shore or to believe him about his wealth. However, the Captain of the We're Here, Disko Troop, offers him a job as part of the crew until they return to port. With no other choice, Harvey accepts.
There follows a series of trials and adventures where the boy learns to adjust to his rough new life, and with the help of his friend, Dan Troop, he makes fine progress. Eventually, the schooner returns to port and Harvey wires his parents. They rush to the fishing town and find to their amazement that their child has become an industrious, serious and considerate young man.
In 1937 Louis D. Lighton produced a movie based on the novel, directed by Victor Fleming. Spencer Tracy won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in this film. The cast also included Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas, Mickey Rooney, and John Carradine.
The movie also gained nominations for three other Academy Awards: