The Northern River Pirates were friends of the Ransomes who formed a fleet to sail the Norfolk Broads in 1938 and 1939. Cruises on the Broads had now developed into major expeditions. In both 1938 and 1939 the Ransomes led a fleet about the northern waters for a week in spring. Arthur was admiral; in his train came four Fairways and a Whippet (sailed by Taqui and Titty, who proved to be the most efficient of the younger sailors). The rule was that every boat could do more or less as she liked during the day, but all had to arrive at the same rendezvous for the night. In practice the boats sailed pretty much together, and Arthur was usually at hand to help in misadventures, of which running aground seems to have been the most common. To aid identification every ship had to fly a Jolly Roger