Tom is an old, harrowed man who has been at sea for over a decade with other sailors, who let the winds take them where they pleased. For twelve years, he hoped to return to Liverpool where his lover lives still, though she is three years older than him, and thus the time they have left is fading away. The other sailors constantly remind him of this, telling him that if he were younger, maybe it would be worth it to return to Liverpool. But as it is, Tom is far too old for love anymore, so when he requests Liverpool, the rest of the party can convince him to continue on his sailing life rather than return to his lover. When a young sailor, Spike, attacks a fellow sailor, he is imprisoned, despite the fact that he was acting out of self-defense, seeing as the other man had a knife. Spike is chained and Tom watches over him, coming to learn that he is to be married soon and that his lover was at their next stop. Though Tom feels torn, he doesn't have the courage to unlock his chains. Spike's lover boards the boat, looking for him. She speaks with Tom, begging him to let her see Spike and he finally obliges. When the lovers are reunited, she attempts to bribe Tom to get Spike off the boat by any means necessary. Reflecting on Liverpool and on his own lover, Tom finally lets them slip off into the night. The next day, once they are deciding on their next destination, Tom declares it to be Liverpool, with no question or concerns.