Seamless Sailor, Julie Sandler Lambert, sent a note a few months ago with a great idea for a fun project that I couldn't wait to make - a floaty seat using those toy swimming noodles. She wrote a post on her blog, S/V Second Star, with excellent instructions on how to make a noodle chair. Simple and easy to make. She suggested a guest post on Seamless Sailor, so I've added her post here. Thanks, Julie!
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"That's Using Your Noodle"
By Julie Sandler Lambert - May 2013
In preparation for our upcoming weekend cruise I spent the day getting prepared. Did I plan out our provisions? Nope. Did I replace the secondary bilge pump so that we would
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Our good friends on Second Sally gave us a Bahamian courtesy flag when we bought our boat. Considering we were relatively newbies (and still are!), it seemed like they issued us a challenge - would we make it to the Bahamas so we could put the flag to use? It was an aspirational gift. We are on our way!
Bahamian FlagBahamian Courtesy FlagThere are a variety of flags to have aboard:
- Country flag or ensign
- Courtesy flags
- “Q” flag needed when initially entering a new country
- Decorative code flags
- Burgees for organizations and yacht clubs, and house flags
In this post I gave instructions for making a house flag. Making flags can save a bit of money as flags can be pricey. Flags can be made by hand or machine. Read more [...] 
You’ve arrived at your anchorage in the late afternoon. A great sail behind you. A great dinner to come. The barbecue is fired up. The appetizers and wine come out. Wait...Blinded by the light...sorry Bruce. Granted I’m glad that its sunny. But let’s not bake during happy hour. Answer – get out the sun shades.
Here’s an easy Seamless Sailor sun shade solution.
Materials:
- Phitertex
- Sunbrella
- Grommets, snaps or fasteners of choice
Measure area where you want to block sun, like across the back and side of an enclosure. Determine how you will attach shades. Do you have handles to tie to or snaps on the enclosure you can use? A shroud or stanchion to attach to? We made a sun shade for the 
The Captain requested a new line bag to hang off the boom attachments. You know for reefing and outhaul lines. The bag needed to be sturdy and be able to stand up to weather. He requested a 14” square bag with pockets on both sides. Here’s what I came up with.
Materials:
Phifertex Plus
Mesh
1” Webbing
1" Binding
D Rings or Buckles
Tools:
Binder clips
Seamstick tape
Binder attachment (optional)
Instructions:
- Measure size of backing panel and add an 1” for seams. Cut 2 out of Phifertex Plus. Measure and cut 2 panels out of the mesh the same size. Measure and cut sides and bottom out of mesh 3” wide plus an 1” for seams. Cut enough for both sides of the bag so you have two pockets. 
Would you make or have you made a bimini, enclosure and dodger? Now, that's a big project! My sincere respect goes to those Seamless Sailors who tackle The Enclosure. Since we didn't know the age of Magnolia's enclosure; the plastic panels were getting cracks in the glass no matter how much Plexus we used; and on top of all that, the canvas leaked no matter how much waterproofing we went through. It was time to bite the bullet and make the investment. The cockpit is our sunroom after all. We planned the job for over the winter while the boat was out and a fabricator might have more time for a big job. I admit that I did not take on this project myself. We decided it was worth having it done by someone with experience to 
Pi - The number π is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and is approximately equal to 3.14159. Wikipedia
In high school I wondered why in the world I would need to understand pi, you know 3.14. Math and I got along just enough to get through. Now I know! I have actually used pi in a practical application. Very exciting for a non-math type. I used pi to figure out how to pattern a winch cover. Winch covers are valuable for protecting those important winches that help give us ability to manage lines under load. And they have a habit of getting lost or blowing away in a storm. It's likely you'll need to make extras at some point.
Materials you'll need:
- Sunbrella
-