While piecing together the clues to a mystery involving tins of crab meat, Tintin makes the acquaintance of someone who will become his best friend: Captain Haddock. When we first meet him the Captain is in a bad way: an alcoholic and a virtual prisoner of the ship's mate, Allan. Before the adventure has reached its conclusion and Captain Haddock has sobered up, the angry sailor treats readers to a fantastic verbal tirade including curses such as 'ectoplasms', 'freshwater swabs' and bashi-bazouks'!