During the gold rush, prospectors from all over flock to the Klondike to try their hand at finding their fortune; Brett and Cliff build a rudimentary riverboat to float to the prime gold-panning locations.

During prohibition, men would regularly risk their lives to transport the goods; with the Great Lakes as the backdrop for this endeavour many men were lost; Brett and Cliff try their hands at bootlegging.

Brett and Cliff aim to put themselves through the experience of losing one's ship and needing to be rescued.