Robert Chaulk's story begins in 1931 when thirteen-year-old Jackie Gould is a stowaway on an old steamer bound for the sealing grounds of the North Atlantic. What the boy thought would be a big adventure, however, quickly turns to toil for Jackie when he is caught out by the crew. But there are bigger adventures in store for the sealers. The ship's supply of blasting powder, which is carried for freeing the vessel from the death grip of the ice, suddenly explodes, forcing all aboard the Viking onto the ice.

In the darkness and confusion, Jackie finds himself drifting away in the night on a piece of ice as the ship burns and disappears. Now his only companion is a 23-year-old sealer. The life and death struggle that ensues soon forces Jackie to lose his childish ways. He will have to help his ingenious companion if they are going to stay alive without the basic necessities of life.

As the drama unfolds, the author draws on a collection of true stories to describe the resourcefulness and courage of the men who went "to the ice" after the seals. Meanwhile, the two young men survive storms, hunger, cold, and thirst. Then, with deliverance tantalizingly near, disaster strikes his friend. Their last hope of rescue is now slipping away, and Jackie is faced with a daunting task: finding a way to save both himself and his new-found friend.

The Chain Locker examines the timeless human precepts of heroism, loyalty, and friendship through the dramatic and true story of the loss of the steamship Viking.