Hetta Coffey is a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht and she's not afraid to use it! A globe-trotting engineer with adventure in her soul, Hetta is determined to solidify her relationship with her long-distance boyfriend, Jenks Jenkins. What better place for a romantic interlude than aboard her yacht in Mexico's hauntingly beautiful and solitary Sea of Cortez? But where Hetta goes, trouble follows and chaos is sure to ensue. After a run-in with a couple of two-legged sea serpents that threaten to rock the boat, she nevertheless decides to take on a project in the port city of Guaymas. After all, Jenks is headed back to Kuwait, so why not cash in on the best of both worlds by racking up some pesos while living aboard her boat in Mexico? Once again Hetta's indomitable spirit, stubborn independence, and penchant for deceit launch her and her best friend, Jan, into a sea of trouble. A pesky parrot, a drunken aunt, and a shadowy figure who is handsome in a "criminal sort of way" lead to murder, mayhem, kidnapping, and run-ins with several federal agencies on both sides of the border.