Eskil travels around Sweden a lot. His father is an engineer who maintains and repairs the country's nuclear power stations. Eskil's mother lives in Denmark, unable to cope with such an unsteady way of life. It causes Eskil some problems, too: as soon as he makes any friends, he must move on. Even though all the kids play ice hockey, which allows Eskil to make quick contact. But unlike his father, who used to play ice hockey on a professional level, Eskil isn't too fond of the sport. The sensitive boy is rather interested in anything related to seafaring and ships. Which is why he is immediately fascinated by Trinidad, a peculiar woman who lives in a secluded shed on the village outskirts, where she is building an impressive boat in which she intends to head for the Caribbean.