Once they had taken control of their ships, the mutineers were then faced with the challenges of governing. Success would require unity, but this posed enormous challenges across thousands of men in dozens of ships. An element of coercion was present, but persuasion was a much more effective strategy. The mutineer regimes at Spithead and the Nore employed a potent blend of continuity, egalitarian tradition, and carnivalesque fun to encourage solidarity to their cause. Similar to the counter-theatre seen in protests on shore, spaces and symbols of authority were usurped by leading mutineers to reassure their shipmates and legitimise their rule. These trappings of power were combined with a pseudo-democratic structure that empowered the most skilled and respected seamen. All the while, the pageantry of music, ritual, flags, and parades was harnessed to maintain cohesion. Through the study of these complementary techniques, this chapter moves away from the question of causation to consider the practical methods employed by the mutinous sailors to sustain their cause for so long and on such a grand scale. The sailors’ capacity for coordinated collective action powerfully refutes any notion of a need for outside instigators.