Noah Dugan is a jaded pilot who finds himself unemployed and deeply in debt after a bout of gambling. He seeks out his old friend, Stoney, who runs a weathered airfield and offers him a chance to earn a living by flying a cargo of animals to a remote South Pacific island aboard a WWII-era B-29 bomber. Along for the journey is Bernadette Lafleur, the primary missionary accompanying the mission, with whom he clashes at first. Bernadette has spent years caring for the animals at an orphanage and grows close to two orphans, Julie and Bobby, who develop a wary affection for the animals after witnessing Dugan’s rough treatment of one of them.
As the aircraft lines up for takeoff, Bobby expresses concern over the way the animals are treated and secretly hides aboard the bomber to ensure they’re cared for. Julie follows him, and together they embark on a voyage that will push the group far from anything they know. Midflight, the bomber veers off course and, with fuel running low, is forced to crash-land on an uncharted island that Bobby had spotted earlier. On the shore, they encounter two elderly Japanese holdout sailors who have lived in isolation for 35 years. Dugan grows suspicious of them, but Bernie earns their trust. One of the sailors is named Cleveland, a man named after an American city who learned English from a prior life in the United States, which helps the two groups communicate.
The sailors reveal a stark truth: there is little chance of rescue if they stay on the island, and they have weathered decades without anyone returning. They propose a bold plan to convert the old bomber into a seaworthy vessel by flipping it upside down, fashioning a sail, and using wind and current to reach civilization. Bernie volunteers to oversee the sewing of a sail, using the holdout sailors’ battle flag as the primary fabric. As they work, the initial friction between Dugan and Bernie softens, and a genuine bond forms between them. The two fall in love as the project takes shape, and the aircraft earns a new name—Noah’s Ark—painted on its hull, a gesture that both amuses and slightly roils Dugan.
With Bobby’s insistence, the animals are brought aboard, and the makeshift ark sails out toward the open sea. Days slip by with no sign of land, and hope wavers. Bernie, inspired by the biblical tale of Noah and the dove returning with an olive branch, suggests sending a duck with a note for rescue. The plan provides a lifeline, but the bird’s flight goes westward, away from Hawaii and the couple’s hoped-for beacon. Tragedy and danger punctuate the voyage, including a moment when Bobby falls overboard while trying to fish and is rescued by Dugan, who has formed a strong protective bond with the boy, just as a large shark circles ominously.
Their perseverance pays off when a United States Coast Guard Cutter Mellon arrives and takes aboard the duck, signaling that help has arrived. The Noah’s Ark and its unlikely crew are ultimately towed toward Oahu, bringing the perilous, hopeful journey to a close.
