A free-spirited young woman, eager for adventures away from her dreary 1870s New England home, sets sail for the Arctic on a whaling ship. The last thing she expects to find are the affections of the ship's rough-hewn skipper. Even after she allows herself to indulge in the passion she also feels for him, she is still unsure whether the seaman can be trusted. But when disaster strikes the ship, their love for one another may be the only thing that can save them.