Long-time friends Paul and Fiete are two traditional fishermen in a rapidly changing world. Of the long-established seafarers in their small Baltic Sea village, which the overzealous mayor wants to turn into a tourist stronghold, they are the last ones who still go out to sea every day. However, when Paul finds out by chance one day that Fiete, not he, is the biological father of his son Piet, their close friendship suddenly seems to come to an abrupt end. From then on, the two of them come up with more and more nasty things to make life difficult for the other. Piet, who has returned to his home country and is completely unaware of the situation, ends up in the middle of this petty war.