Three red-nosed pirates sail the high seas in a rickety ship named Shark de Triomphe as they pillage-and-plunder their way from island to island, robbing locals of spices, silks and whatever else strikes their fancy. Ratt, Spatt and Knat are a colourful, clumsy and chaotic lot, thoroughly unlikeable but undeniably entertaining.

One day while trolling the seas for a delicacy or two the pirates feel their net snag. They've caught something heavy and can barely wait to sink their yellow-stained teeth into it. They pull and pull and pull...and up comes a woman wearing a blue nose and holding a spear. "A blue nose ain't normal," Ku (pronounced 'Koo') is told. "Is the air I breathe blue, too?" she retorts. The mouthy pirates are left speechless, then tell Ku of their plans to invade Pakamula, an island they'll claim as their own as soon as they find it. Ku has no interest in helping the hapless pirates find their way, but she's happy to point out that the contraption they pilfered on an earlier trip is not a coconut masher but a musical instrument. The pirates insist on calling it a cranklebooster, until Ku backs up her words with actions and shows them that a bemique (beh-meek) makes beautiful melodies. She's about to dive back into the sea when Ratt yanks her back and orders her bound and gagged. He wants Spatt to practice his plundering, and decides Ku is the perfect plunderee. In the midst of a 'rehearsal' the subservient Spatt – whose left hand has evolved into a serving spoon – inadvertently cuts Ratt. When Ku offers some native ointment, Ratt balks: he's loath to acknowledge it might be more effective than anything he has in his arsenal. When the pain persists, he insists Spatt try it first, lest there be any side effects. Within short order Spatt is sleeping like a baby. Ratt can't resist snorting the cream for himself and collapses in a heap beside Spatt.

Ku recognizes that Knat is different than the other pirates, and tells him as much. He insists otherwise, and is determined to prove he's no less ruthless or rude. But Ku persists, and Knat acknowledges he may be cut from a different cloth, a cloth not stained by prejudice and presumptions. For his part, Knat takes Ku to task for her own preconceptions about Pymples, a tribe living close to Ku that she has always looked down upon.

A storm erupts, rousing Ratt and Spatt from their sleep. Soon all four characters battle the elements in a sequence peppered with physical humour. In the midst of the storm, Spatt's serving spoon hand is yanked off and the hand he had always had emerges. As the storm subsides the Shark de Triomphe hits a rocky shore. When Ratt orders everyone to jump overboard in search of spoils an emboldened Spatt defies his captain and strikes out on his own. Ratt gives chase, convinced they've reached Pakamula. Ku knows better, and tells Knat they've reached the Isle of Pymm. It doesn't take much for Ku to convince Knat he's better off heading in a new direction, both literally and figuratively. For his part, Knat persuades Ku to return to Pymm one day to overcome her prejudices by meeting a Pymple face-to-face. Ratt returns, more concerned about looting the island than finding Spatt; he waits for Knat to join him, only to learn Knat has other plans. A disgruntled Ratt decides he'll be a one-pirate wrecking crew. Ku dives back into the sea. Knat sets sail on his own.

A swashbuckling, comedic tale about culture clashes and cultural assumptions, Bluenose provides a glimpse at small-scale imperialism as it unfolds on a cluttered, foul-smelling ship. Fuelled by intolerance but then swayed by insights, the Shark de Triomphe embarks on a trip that leaves audiences richer for the journey.