A native of Terschelling, a Dutch North Sea island, the boy Dirk dreams of going to sea as his father, a merchant mariner, has done. When he finishes grade school, Dirk signs on as a bottle washer abouard the Sea Dog, his uncle's tugboat. Not finding the job at all to his liking, especially when his friends and co-workers tease him unmercifully, he wonders whether he's made the right choice. His gutsy perserverance, however sees him through queasy hours, and he finds his sea legs at last. And even then, the legendary power of the sea and the minds of the men around him will have much to teach him about himself...
