Captain Ambrose comes from a long line of distinguished sailors...but is all too susceptible to seasickness. After the war, he buys himself a nautical command on shore; a decrepit amusement pier at the British resort town Sandcastle-on-Sea, whose prim town council has outlawed arcade games as a form of gambling! Running the pier like a naval vessel, the captain's determination to make it a modern, going concern meets steady opposition. But with an unexpected new ally, he pursues a remarkable scheme to liberate his "ship" from land authorities...
A pianist named Garvey, while traveling on a tour, gets off the train to buy cigarettes, and learns from a salesgirl that the cities imagined by Grin really exist. Forgetting about his tour, he goes to one of these cities, where he meets the captain of "The Waverunner"... The famous bard Alexander Galich wrote the script to this film -one of the 1960s best motion pictures. The film features his wonderful songs as performed by Galich himself: "A ship was sailing from faraway Australia...", "Things will straighten out, there's nothing to worry about..."... In the 21st century, the cinema will be different; perhaps it's natural. And yet, it's a pity...