Part 1. David Robinson is sent to a penal colony. His wife and children are allowed to accompany him. The ship is caught in a storm and the family (except for one son, Jacob) is trapped below deck. Jacob is raised by pirates and the family abandons the boat and goes ashore, saving as much as they can from the boat, including dogs, chickens and muskets.
Part 2 : They learn to survive and build a shelter on land. Then Jacob's pirates kidnap Emily, the daughter of a sea captain. She flees to the island and becomes Fritz and Ernst's lover. During a battle with the pirates over Emily, Jacob is reunited with his family and she is returned to her father. In the end, the family go their separate ways, some staying on the island, others going home.
