A band of young sportsmen sign aboard a whaling schooner and learn practical seamanship while confronting hazards of life at sea. Through episodic incidents—a man overboard, shanghaiing, disputes, whale sighting and capture, cutting in and trying out, and being set adrift—the boys develop resourcefulness, courage, and loyalty. Vivid shipboard scenes, hunting descriptions, and moral tests combine with moments of humor and danger to chart their maturation and the daily labors of whaling voyages.