After the tragic death of their son in a car accident, Rae Ingram (Nicole Kidman) and John Ingram (Sam Neill) have decided to sail the Pacific Ocean to recover. After some time, they find themselves in a dead calm, where there is no wind to sail by, in the middle of the Pacific. That same day, they see another vessel on the horizon. A sole survivor, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane), has rowed over to them to seek help. The Ingrams take him in, but his story as to what happened to the rest of his crew does not sit well with John. Before Hughie wakes, John rows over to the other schooner and soon realizes that there is a murderer on board his boat, alone with his wife. Hughie then kidnaps Rae and steals the boat, leaving John on the sinking schooner. Now it is up to Rae to save herself and her husband.