▁Kurt ▁Russell ▁as ▁the ▁title ▁character , ▁a ▁sail or ▁with ▁a ▁qu ir ky ▁person ality ▁and ▁a ▁check ered ▁past , ▁and ▁Martin ▁Short ▁as ▁an ▁upper - middle ▁class , ▁sub urban ▁family ▁man ▁who ▁h ires ▁him ▁to ▁sail ▁a ▁y acht ▁through ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁with ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁ab o ard . ▁Mary ▁Kay ▁Place , ▁M ead ow ▁S isto , ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁Sal is bury ▁also ▁star ▁as ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁children . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Martin ▁Har vey ▁is ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁office ▁worker ▁who ▁lives ▁in ▁ ▁Chicago ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁K atherine , ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁daughter , ▁Caroline , ▁and ▁ 1 1 - year - old ▁son , ▁Ben . ▁When ▁he ▁lear ns ▁his ▁recently ▁dece ased ▁uncle ▁has ▁be que athed ▁him ▁a ▁ 6 0 ' ▁y acht ▁once ▁owned ▁by ▁Clark ▁G able , ▁he ▁dec ides ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁St . ▁Pom me ▁de ▁Ter re ▁(" Saint ▁Pot ato ") ▁to ▁retrieve ▁it ▁so ▁he ▁can ▁sell ▁it . ▁K atherine ▁res ists ▁the ▁idea , ▁but ▁agre es ▁after ▁Caroline ▁announ ces ▁she ▁has ▁just ▁become ▁engaged . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Har ve ys ▁arrive ▁at ▁the ▁island , ▁they ▁discover ▁that ▁the ▁y acht , ▁the ▁W ander er , ▁is ▁in ▁terrible ▁condition . ▁Upon ▁hearing ▁this , ▁the ▁y acht ▁bro ker ▁can c els ▁his ▁plan ▁to