James is anxious to buy the Salt Line, a fleet of six ships which seem to belong to a foppish dandy, Sinclair, who does nothing with them. In fact they are owned by his aunt, captain's widow Mrs. Salt, now old and bed-ridden but reluctant to sell as she has promised them to her nephew. James discovers that Sinclair has huge gambling debts, which he pays off in return for being given the ships. He and Sinclair go to see Mrs. Salt for her approval but she has died in her sleep and so James takes over the Salt Line, putting Captain Baines in charge of it.
—don @ minifie-1