In a small harbor on the North Sea coast, the skipper's pub "Zum eisernen Matrosen" and the customs office are located opposite each other. Since smuggling has been practiced on the Waterkant since time immemorial, the "smuggler king" Adrian and his two sons Paul and Emil try to outsmart the conscientious and omnipresent customs officer - according to the motto: "Go to sleep with grog, wake up with grog, that's the whole course of the day!"

Emilie Kappelhoff runs the household for her brother Julius. One day she discovers a savings book with a balance of 350,000 DM, which he wanted to keep secret from the family. Emilie and the children believe they have hit the jackpot, which will solve all their money worries. They quickly spread the news. Suddenly, many so-called friends come forward.

When city doctor Jan Vahlfeldt inherits his eccentric uncle’s rural practice, he must also take on its quirky long-time assistant, Anna Michels. Adapting to country life and her unconventional ways, Jan faces a series of humorous challenges before claiming his inheritance.

In the sailors' pub "Die Königin von Honolulu" in Hamburg's St. Pauli district in 1910, the sailors are sitting grumpily and pestering their wages master, Krischon Honolulu, to finally get them a ship, as their coffers are at low tide. Then the sailor Scharli appears and reports that an American luxury yacht has arrived, owned by the millionaire William Thomson, a "madman" and misogynist who throws his money around. Eight sailors are wanted for a voyage around the world, including to Honolulu.

The village tailor Witt has been burgled, and he himself has received a nasty blow to the head! The seriousness of the crime means that the gendarme in charge does not investigate the case alone - the new head of the district is eager to take over. The head of the parish, Kreyenborg, slyly supports the criminal investigation by getting help from his servant Willem, a man of "plietscher Dröhnbüdeligkeit (a charmingly clever annoyance)". The young vet Renken is also happy to help him, which his daughter Lena warmly welcomes. After confusing statements from Trina, the tailor's wife, the question arises: is there something to cover up?