By Dick Shead

A year after his divorce, Steve McInerney is invited on a sailing vacation. Steve's pal, Tom Palmy, has a 22-foot sailboat named Tom's Toy and is taking it to the Gulf of California. A few days after starting the trip, Steve and Tom meet Audrey Sutter, sailing on her boat, the Ark. They are both anchored near a desert island where they are sheltering from huge waves stirred up by a storm to the south. The enforced stay gives Steve time to discover he really likes Audrey.

The storm drives an old powerboat with two Mexicans into the shelter, their worn-out boat in danger of sinking. The Mexicans, part of a revolutionary band, decide Audrey's boat would be the perfect replacement for them to complete their mission.

Tom's Toy and the Ark are headed for different destinations. When the waves die down, Steve and Tom leave Audrey at the anchorage, allowing the bandits a chance to steal the Ark. Audrey escapes when they try to kill her. Steve and Tom manage to rescue her after the bandits depart. Tom wants to take Audrey to the nearest town for medical treatment but she convinces the two men to follow after the Ark. Their only mistake was catching it.