1882. The Russian clipper "Bold" follows the route San Francisco - Hong Kong. In an American port, the Russian consul puts a passenger on the ship - a young widow Vera Sergeevna Clark and her maid Annushka, returning to their homeland. The young ladies cause the officers and sailors of the clipper to have an explosion of jealousy for each other, especially for the young frivolous midshipman Tsvetkov, who fell in love with the passenger at first sight. Experienced and sensible Vera Sergeevna understands that the stormy emotions of sailors are just the result of a long absence from their personal life, and that after she leaves the ship, the hobby will quickly be forgotten. Nevertheless, the seductive passenger allows her flirtation with midshipman Tsvetkov to go far enough.