After the death of his parents, Christian Pointner takes over their fishing business. He also feels that it is time to start a family of his own. He finds true love in his home village, of all places.

After a long sea voyage, Christian Pointner has returned to his Bavarian homeland to take over the fishing business following the death of his father. In the village of St. Peter, no one believes that Christian will be happy on his father's estate, which is why interested buyers are quickly found. The sudden appearance of Martha Petersen, a “dubious character” from St. Pauli, throws the whole village into turmoil. This “lady” was hiding behind a marriage advertisement to which Christian had responded while still in Hamburg. Christian Pointner is so taken aback by her arrival that he pretends to be someone else, namely his fisherman's assistant Bonifaz. What Bonifaz now has to endure at the hands of the woman from Hamburg is beyond belief. Meanwhile, Christian has his eye on the pretty innkeeper's daughter Eva...

The coastal skipper Hein Butendörp marries his Alma head over heels because there is a baby on the way. The parents of the girl from a "better family" are bitterly angry about this "improper" liaison: they had completely different plans for their pretty daughter. Butendörp and his young wife live in an old boatman's cottage. Hein saves as much as he can to replace his outdated ship with a modern coaster. But for all her good intentions, the young sailor's wife Alma is getting in over her head with housekeeping. Soon she has run up so many debts that the bailiff is at the door. In dire need, she asks her parents to visit her. Then Hein Butendörp returns unexpectedly from the sea. Her mother-in-law is determined to get even with him...