Charlie is a master shipwright and has no time for journalists, while his partner, Jack Helmore, organises the business and works on the diesel engines. Jack is large and voluble, a wizard on metal and machines and can talk the deck off an iron yacht. These two opposites keep an industry afloat.

Two ships are on the slips being repaired and refitted after a burst of heavy weather which caused many of the boats to be damaged at the wharf. The fishermen cry out for a safer mooring as many boats have sunk at their ropes after heavy seas have burst into the harbour, snatch ing boats of all sizes from their berth.