While living in an old mining town brothel they are renovating in landlocked Montana, Rae Ellen Lee and her husband start writing a novel, and set it on St. John. On a research trip to the Virgin Islands they fall in love with the sand and sun. Upon their return to Montana, they quickly decide to sell their house and buy a boat. The plan is to live on the boat, learn to sail, and get ready for the great adventure. But things don't go as smoothly as they plan. The book is about taking risks and making changes, told from the viewpoint of a reluctant first mate with a candid and humorous perspective.