Safe Harbor

Doug Smith, a retired business owner, and his wife Robbie, a child psychologist, are living on their boat, the Molly Marie, preparing for a long-awaited voyage around the world. Their plans are interrupted when Judge Jack, a friend who once gave Doug a second chance as a youth, asks them to take in two juvenile delinquents, David and Luke, because the local juvenile hall is overcrowded. Though Doug is initially hesitant, Robbie's compassionate nature wins out. The household soon expands to include two more boys, Billy and Larry, creating a cramped and volatile environment on the docks. Doug implements a strict 'merit point' system to teach the boys discipline, while Robbie provides emotional support, especially to David, whose alcoholic mother attempts to forcibly take him back in a drunken stupor. The experiment faces external threats from Ed Hutchins, the head of the marina committee who views the boys as 'trash,' and Linda Rawlings, a cold social worker who believes the boat is an unsuitable residence. The boys begin to reform, learning to sail and even winning a race against local bullies. However, tragedy strikes when Larry, the youngest boy with a history of arson, burns the Molly Marie down. He does so out of a distorted fear of abandonment, believing that if the boat is gone, the Smiths won't be able to sail away and leave him. Larry is found having attempted to hang himself in the aftermath, but he is saved by Doug and the other boys. Despite the destruction of their dream boat, the Smiths refuse to give up on the boys. During a final outing on a borrowed vessel, they receive a Mayday call during a severe storm. Doug and the boys work together as a professional crew to rescue a stranded boater, proving their growth and bravery to the community. In the end, the Smiths decide to postpone their world voyage indefinitely to establish a permanent program for at-risk youth. David's mother enters rehab, and the boys are granted permission to stay in the Smiths' custody, finally finding the stable family they never had.