<DIV>Sailor Bob Sherman has his hands full trying to save the ocean yacht <I>Bonito</I> from capsizing in hurricane waters off Venezuela's coast—no thanks to the know-it-all attitude and incompetence of the vessel's captain. Sherman's rugged good looks and seafaring skills at least bring him the attentions of Phyllis Marmion, a raven-haired beauty and daughter of the yacht's owner.<BR><p>Unfortunately, Sherman's also the bitter enemy of the girl's father who, with the support of corrupt officials, had stripped him of a highly profitable drilling business and taken his land years before.<BR><BR>More's at stake than oil fields when the ship is attacked by modern pirates and are all taken captive. Soon Sherman, crew and passengers find themselves in a dungeon jail on an uncharted island known locally as the Island of Death—a place where no one escapes, and Sherman's futile efforts have marked him for an early death.</p></div>