Pilot boats are a fixture of the coastal Victorian town of Queenscliff, darting into the treacherous Rip in all weathers to shepherd big ships into and out from the Port of Melbourne. Many crewmembers have been lost in the line of duty, but when the body of a pilot captain is found on a local beach, suicide or accidental death are presumed by almost everyone except local police constable Chris Blackie. Sensing there's much more to this case...