A genial bum Ernie brings home for dinner outrages Uncle Charley by eating everything in sight and then decides to stay the night even though he wasn't invited. Steve feels that they should let Ernie work things out for himself.

Uncle Charley's old seafaring buddy arrives with a wonderful proposition: He wants Charley to join him as first mate for a six month fishing cruise in the Carribean. The family then conspires to demonstrate to Charley that he is not needed, but they really don't want him to leave.