Paul receives a letter from one who claims to be his real father, proposing a last meeting before dying. He will travel to Australia and there he meets a woman that will be attracted.

The Hamburg shipowner Jan Hansen proudly transfers a magnificent, brand new sailing yacht to Uruguay, which he lovingly designed in accordance with the wishes of the rich wood manufacturer Don Esteban Gonzales. But no sooner has the "Rheingold" docked in the port of Montevideo than things start to happen. To Jan's great surprise, his girlfriend and travel companion, the marine biologist Anne, rejects his marriage proposal.