Sat, May 29, 1976
Baines and Onedin find an uncharted island, rich in guano, which they intend to mine without telling anybody. However, Matt Harvey learns about it and sets sail in a Frazer Line ship but fails to locate the island. Instead he returns with valuable whale-bone and claims that the guano was too acidic for use. Elizabeth believes she has got one over on her brother until she discovers that he already knew this fact.
Sat, Dec 30, 1972
In Liverpool the Frazers combine to try and smuggle Jessop, who has been imprisoned and is now on the run, to Ireland. He is apprehended but they stand by him at court. The race between James and Daniel has begun, both captains having their wives on board. James reaches Foochow first but learns that Daniel aims to cut corners by using a second ship. However Daniel gets caught in the monsoons whilst Baines negotiates James' ship through them. Anne goes into labour as the Onedins approach Liverpool and James risks losing the race by breaking protocol and rushing her to the port without taking on board the pilot. However he is declared the winner but his joy is short-lived for Anne dies giving birth to their daughter.
Sat, Jan 26, 1974
Caroline and James are returning from Baltimore, where she has been sorting out her husband's affairs. There is a new crew, hastily gathered by the shifty Bartholomew and a passenger called Draygon, escorting a thousand dollars' worth of gold bullion. On the voyage, Draygon leads the crew in a mutiny in order to gain possession of the bullion but they are thwarted by Onedin and Captain Baines. Elizabeth is in possession of a patent for hydraulic steering aboard steam-ships left her by Albert; Fogarty, now alone, is emigrating to Australia and asks her to accompany him but, on learning that he was only interested in the patent, she refuses. After his return to Liverpool, Leonora refuses James' marriage proposal in favour of his cousin, Richard.
Sat, Sep 23, 1972
In Liverpool Jessop sets about organizing a strike though many seamen feel they cannot afford it. When the strike finally occurs Anne, shocked by her husband's callous attitude, helps the strikers' families. James is prepared to negotiate with Jessop, brokering a separate deal giving the advantage to the Onedins and not the Callon line. However Fogarty calls in strike breakers, leading to a full-scale riot during which Robert's shop is burned down. Anne, unable to cope with James' opposition to her charitable actions, leaves him.
Sat, Jul 16, 1977
Having exposed Macauley's insurance scam, James proposes to Letty, who accepts. Daniel also returns to Liverpool, now a very wealthy man. Robert considers opening a department store and travels with Captain Baines and Samuel to New York, where he is robbed and very nearly press-ganged. James takes on a voyage to import some sheep but it causes him to postpone the wedding and Letty, as a consequence, declares the engagement and wedding off.
Sat, Sep 16, 1978
While running for Parliament Daniel joins with Elizabeth to prevent William from selling the Frazer Line to an apparent consortium, actually a front for Beaumont. To take his mind off his son's death, James sails to Africa with Captain Baines to find diamonds, but they end up adrift in an open boat for three months. Letty never doubts that he will come back and, on his return, he gives 15% of the Onedin Line shares to Samuel, who has married Charlotte just in time for the birth of her son.
Sat, Aug 30, 1980
Letty has died from diphtheria caught from nursing sick orphans and Elizabeth has returned from Turkey to manage urgent Fraser business. Sarah is on a Cook's tour of the world, Samuel now has his own ships, bought from the trust fund William left his son Robert. He divorces Charlotte and is awarded custody of the children but agrees to repay the money in the little boy's account. Having suggested to Elizabeth that the Onedin and Frazer lines merge, James takes Prince Alexander, exiled by the Russian Tsar, to reclaim the throne of Bulgaria. There is an assassination attempt aboard ship, and even when the ship reaches Bulgaria, the prince's return is far from triumphant.
Sat, Sep 22, 1979
The Doyles return to Liverpool and Samuel declares his love for Helen but Charlotte refuses to divorce him - whilst Sarah and Fergus spend time together. Elizabeth learns that Daniel is the new ambassador to Turkey, an appointment engineered by Marston's father so that she will be obliged to leave Liverpool and join her husband. Helped by Tom, for whom he has arranged a master's apprenticeship, James tracks down Burgess, who has stolen back the ship the 'Black Pearl'. However he lets him keep the ship and returns to Liverpool, finding his house full of children following a fire at Letty's orphanage.
Sat, Jul 9, 1977
Five ships, all carrying iron plate, have foundered - people betting on the losses, including Mr. Dunwoody, Elizabeth's clerk, who buys the company house where Robert and Sarah live, forcing them to return to live over the shop. James accepts a cargo of iron plate and discovers the ship is being sabotaged by Kirk, a sailor in the pay of Macauley, who also sunk the other five. Whilst Elizabeth's son, William, is only interested in commerce, Robert's boy, Samuel, is keen to go to sea. James returns to Liverpool and finds that Letty, tired of waiting for a marriage proposal, has gone.
Sat, Jul 21, 1979
Returning from the Mediterranean with Letty aboard, James comes across Egyptologist Professor Dawson and his daughter Emma, who is clearly ill, adrift in a small boat. The professor has a mysterious item which he keeps in a bag and, learning that they have escaped from a ship carrying lepers, James quarantines them. However a sailor called Jimmy also falls ill. The professor throws the casket that he has been hiding, stolen from a Pharaoh's tomb, overboard upon which Emma recovers but Jimmy dies. Elizabeth discovers not only that Daniel has been cheating on her but that Samuel, who now has married Charlotte, is refusing to let William see his son.