"The Open Boat" begins with four men—the captain, the oiler, the cook, and the correspondent—rowing a small dinghy boat off the coast of Florida in January following a shipwreck. Tall waves constantly threaten to swamp the small boat. The captain, who is injured, gives directions while the cook bails out the water collecting at the bottom of the boat. The correspondent and the oiler take turns at the oars. Constant rowing makes them fatigued, though the correspondent values the sense of brotherhood that has developed among the desperate men.
The captain spots a lighthouse far off in the distance; the men hope it is a life-saving station, equipped with people who can take a boat out to rescue them. The mood turns cheery as the men approach the lighthouse. Certain of their impending rescue, they light four cigars the correspondent has in his pocket. However, no life-savers come to rescue them, so they attempt to take the boat to shore themselves, despite the increasingly dangerous swells that rise from the shallower water. The mood turns bitter as they exchange addresses to send news of their deaths. The narrator questions why the god of Fate would be so cruel as to let them feel hope only to drown them after all. The wind gains force, so Billie the oiler turns the boat back to safer waters. They spend the afternoon rowing.
Eventually, a person appears on the shore. The men become excited as more people gather at the beach. One man on the shore takes off his coat and waves to the boat. The men on the boat do not understand what he is trying to communicate. Eventually the man fades into darkness as the daylight disappears. Contrary to expectations, no help has come.
The four men pass the night in the cold boat, taking turns sleeping and rowing. The correspondent speculates on Fate, and is still curious why the gods would put him through such hardship when they could have let him drown when the ship went down. A shark swims close to the boat; its fin cuts through the water, activating bioluminescent phosphorescence as it moves. The other men are asleep, and the narrator wishes he were not alone with the shark. While rowing, the correspondent remembers a poem about a dying soldier and discovers he finally has sympathy for the man.
The correspondent wakes to a gray dawn. Since no help is coming, the men point the boat to shore, planning to jump out when it inevitably capsizes. Once waves overturn the boat, the four swim in the frigid water. The correspondent sees Billie swim vigorously ahead while the cook floats submissively and the captain holds onto the overturned boat. A man on the shore sees them removes his clothes before running into the water to help pull the men out. The man is about to drag out the correspondent when he becomes startled: the correspondent sees Billie facedown in the shallows, his forehead bobbing into the sand between waves.
The correspondent is grateful to be on dry land. Men and women bring clothes, blankets, food, and coffee. The correspondent, the captain and the cook get to the shore safely, but Billie has died.
