It's a steamy, sultry day during a hot Mediterranean summer. Terence, a rich lawyer, his wife Cathy, a doctor, and their daughter Lucy are relaxing on the yacht that is Terence's pride and joy. Suddenly, a storm whips up from nowhere and Terence battles into the night to save the lives of his family.
Battered and bruised, they limp into Dubrovnik harbour. Unable to go ashore until daybreak, Cathy tends to her daughter's injuries when a large motor-cruiser pulls up alongside the yacht. Its wounded skipper, the enigmatic Kurt, comes aboard the family's yacht also seeking medical help.
As the darkest hours slowly tick by, Terence and Cathy have to listen to Kurt's disturbing story. At sunrise, Terence is a changed man...