The effete son of a cantankerous riverboat captain comes to join his father's crew.

Following through on a promise to his mother, William Canfield Jr. goes to River Junction to meet his father who has not seen him since he was a child. The younger Canfield isn't quite what the elder was expecting but the old man has bigger problems. He's being put out of business by J.J. King, who not only owns the local hotel and bank, but has recently introduced a new paddle wheel steamer that puts Canfield's older boat, the Stonewall Jackson, to shame. Bill Jr. and Kitty King take a liking to each other much to the dismay of both of their fathers. When a fierce storm hits River Junction, Bill Jr. is forced to save Kitty, her father and his father.—garykmcd

Steamboat Bill is excited that his son (Steamboat Bill Jr.) is coming to visit him. When he does, he tries to turn him into a proper person for working on the boats, while his son resists. Meanwhile, Kitty, a girl that he knows from school in Boston, spots him and introduces him to her father, a rival of Steamboat Bill. He tries to be alone with her, but gets caught several times, and is given a ticket back to Boston. Steamboat Bill gets arrested for unruly conduct (on a condemnation notice of his boat) and it's up to Bill Jr. to rescue his dad - in the middle of a cyclone storm.—hbdragon88