The series is the third television adaptation of the popular comic strip "Captain Pugwash", created by John Ryan (1921-2009). The main character is Captain Horatio Pugwash, a pirate who rarely commits acts of piracy. He is a boastful character, claiming to be the "bravest buccaneer" of the seas. He is actually cowardly and not particularly bright, with a string of victories mostly attributed to good luck. The crew consists of the mild-mannered Master Mate (a first mate whose speech pattern consists of malapropisms and mispronunciations), Willy from Wigan (a pacifist sailor who wants to return to his native town of Wigan), and Tom the Cabin Boy (the brains of the operation and the only one with sailing skills). Captain Pugwash often leads his crew in adventures against his archenemy, Cut-Throat Jake, the Captain of the Flying Dustman. Jake is a far wealthier and more successful pirate, who devotes much of his time to revenge schemes against Pugwash.
—Dimos I