England is on the cusp of its Empire, but as the Dutch trade wars come to a close, so the struggles with the French for naval supremacy are just beginning. The high seas are the most exciting place for a man to be, and Matthew Stalbone longs to make use of his newly-taught education in the Art of Navigation. But first he must win a place aboard a ship - and for an orphan whose inheritance is kept from him, nothing could be more difficult. He finally leaves the port of Whitby aboard ship, only to risk his life saving another, ending up on a Dutch trader heading for the Indies. He must grow up quickly, for the privateer engages others ships in scraps over territorial waters and its crew plunders and pillages. Driving all his actions is the hope he carries in his heart that he can win the hand of Abigail, the girl he left behind in Whitby, engaged to a rich man.