It's the first day at Pirate School for Ziggy, Smudge, Carkella and Flo and they have lots of new things to contend with. Their headteacher is the scary Patagonia Clasterbotton and they have to take lessons include walking the plank and hand-to-hand fighting. When out on the pirate ship a storm blows up, resulting in the children having to rescue Patagonia when she's swept overboard, and they learn that really Patagonia is not so scary after all!