The Cornish coastal waters in which a Falmouth Packet ship foundered in 1763 are as treacherous today as they were then, so the operation to trace the wreck of the Hanover and salvage her fabled cargo is fraught with difficulty and danger. For ten years former coal miner turned commercial salvage operator Colin Martin has been obsessed with finding the treasure-laden ship. Now he has funding for a three-week salvage operation, with the weather and the archaeological establishment against him.