In a 19th century fishing harbor, the captain of the Komquot is obsessed with catching the great white whale Dicky Moe. His obsession unnerves his crew so badly that they all desert the ship. Shortly afterward, the captain finds Tom searching for food in the harbor, knocks him out, and takes him aboard. Tom believes at first that he is going on a cruise, but the captain soon puts him to work scrubbing the deck.