During World War II, Lieutenant Rip Crandall (Jack Lemmon), an expert yachtsman in civilian life, now based at Townsville, Queensland, Australia, is surprised to be assigned command of a sailing ship, the ''USS Echo''. The only crew member who knows how to work a ship with sails is eager young Ensign (rank)#United States Tommy Hanson (Ricky Nelson), who cost Crandall a yacht race with a mistake before the war.