Gilligan and the Skipper were treated to a hero's breakfast before they were to cast off in the sub. While the prospective submariners got their rest the night before, the other castaways loaded the sub with provisions adequate for a voyage several days in length. Even though the former Minnow passengers were very tired, the mood was jovial.

"Don't forget to radio Kansas!" Mary Ann chirped.

"Tell Hollywood I'm on my way," Ginger purred.

"Tell my accountant to stop spending my money!" Mr. Howell ordered.

"And be sure to let me know when the society group is planning our welcome back social," Mrs. Howell added.

The Professor said, "I'm sure Gilligan and the Skipper will notify all of our loved ones and others who are concerned about us."

Once he was done eating, the Skipper told the group, "The Professor's right. Gilligan and I will shout from the highest mast that the passengers of the S.S. Minnow are alive and well. Thank you for this wonderful send off."

Gilligan added, "But I bet it will be nothing compared to the welcome back party that Mrs. Howell was talking about," which earned a good-natured chuckle from the group.

The five passengers escorted the two crew members to their submarine. The Skipper gently worked his way into the vessel made for much smaller men, while Gilligan scrambled on inside. The Professor untied the mooring lines, and the Skipper fired up the engine—which was running off of some very potent rum the academician distilled.

The sub lurched forward and headed out of the lagoon. The five castaways on the shore waved until the little boat can no longer be seen.

Mary Ann asked, "Professor, do you think they are going to be all right?"

The Scientist answered, "I hope so Mary Ann, I hope so."

Gilligan was standing lookout watch in the hatch of the mini-sub. For the past few hours he had been driving the Skipper crazy with recanting the plots of every World War Two submarine movie from Run Silent Run Deep to Operation Petticoat. The Skipper spent a lot of time contemplating the irony of the fact that a machine that was designed to destroy him and his shipmates less than a quarter century ago might be his salvation.

Gilligan cried out, "A ship! Skipper a ship!"

The Skipper replied, "Gilligan, if it's a cloud, like the other three times you said there was a ship, I swear I'm going to keel haul you."

Gilligan was insistent, "No Skipper, Look!" The mate exclaimed.

With much effort, the Skipper grunted, and looked through the periscope. He then closed his eyes and looked again. No doubt about it, it was a destroyer. Being an experienced tin-can sailor himself, the Skipper could tell it was a WWII vintage German ship. One of these island nations probably got their hands on some surplus. Unusual, but not unheard of. The Skipper mused now I'm taking a Japanese sub to a German destroyer, never would have imagined that back in 42.

The Skipper ordered, "Full speed ahead, Gilligan, bring us alongside."

Gilligan responded with a hearty, "Aye, Skipper!"

As they got closer Gilligan said, "Skipper, I don't think anybody's home."

The Skipper replied, "Don't be silly, Gilligan, there must be sailors aboard."

They got all the way up next to the ship, yet nobody could be seen on deck.

The Skipper said, "They should have seen us on their radar long ago."

Gilligan theorized, "Maybe it's a ghost ship."

The Skipper responded with, "There's no such thing…" The Captain put the pieces together mid sentence and ordered, "Crash Dive! Crash Dive!"

Gilligan got back in the little sub and shut the hatch. The sub started to go down as fast as it could.

Gilligan asked "What…"

Just then a large shock wave nearly tore the sub apart. The concussion knocked both Navy men unconscious. Several minutes later the Skipper came to.

"Wake up little buddy, " The Skipper told his mate.

Gilligan replied, "Does Mary Ann have breakfast ready?"

The Skipper chuckled, "No little buddy, we're still on the sub."

Gilligan groggily inquired, "What happened?"

The Skipper explained, "The destroyer was a target ship for French atomic testing. I should have noticed it sooner. We did the same thing off of bikini years ago, get some WWII surplus vessels and blow them out of the water."

Gilligan cried, "I don't wanna be French fried!"

The Skipper consoled, "We should be OK. We are fairly deep, and if the bomb was close to us, we would have been torn apart. And we're still here. To play it safe, though, we should stay underwater as long as we can, and get as far away from here as possible before we surface."

Gilligan said, "I like the idea of getting out of here."

Within a few hours both sailors were laughing and singing Waltzing Matilda.

Skipper said, "You know Gilligan, you're AOK in my book."

Gilligan replied, "And you're tops in mine Skipper. By the way why do I feel light headed."

The Skipper laughed and said, "Little Buddy, you are always light headed. The bigger question is why do I feel light headed?"

Gilligan laughed and said, "Maybe it's something in the air."

Then the Skipper looked thoughtful for a moment, and came back to reality. "The air! Little Buddy, we feel funny because we are breathing carbon dioxide. We have got to surface!" The Captain ordered.

"Gotcha," Gilligan replied, "Blowing ballast."

The little sub came to the surface. After several hours, Gilligan cried out, "Land Ho!"

The Skipper looked through the periscope, and was crestfallen. "Gilligan, do you know where we are?" He asked.

Gilligan answered with a question, "No, where?"

The Skipper replied, "That's the other side of our island."

Gilligan lamented, "Oh no. After the bomb went off, the compass didn't work."

The Skipper said, "That's all right. After all that happened, I think it would be a good idea to have the Professor look over the boat."

The two sailing men brought the little sub around the island to the makeshift dock the Professor made.

Seeing nobody around, Gilligan asked, "I wonder where everybody is?"

The Skipper answered, "I dunno, but something just doesn't feel right."

Gilligan quietly said, "I know what you mean."

When the crew got to the compound they saw the usual four huts, but again something seemed out of order. Then they heard the girls giggling, but it was coming from the Howell's hut.

The Skipper called out, "Ginger, Mary Ann, we're back!"

Then there was silence, followed by commotion. The Professor ran out of the hut followed by the two women.

The Professor gave the Skipper an odd salute and said, "My apologies, Captain Grumby and Mr. Gilligan. I was keeping watch over the women."

Mary Ann said, "Yeah, he was watching us all right."

The Professor looked very uncomfortable and added, "I take it the submarine didn't produce the results you wanted, sir?"

Then the Skipper noticed how oddly the women were dressed. Ginger's attire was more provocative than usual, and Mary Ann was barely wearing anything at all. When the Captain focused his attention back on the Professor, he noticed two things out of place. The man of science was sporting a dagger on his belt, and somehow he had managed to grow a full Vandyke beard in the short time the Skipper and Gilligan were gone.

Gilligan called out, clearly concerned, "Skipper you better see this."

The Skippers gaze followed where Gilligan's finger was pointing. On the top of a staff placed in the middle of the compound flew the Jolly Roger, also known as the pirate flag.