Shade Sails

Big Frank wants some shade sails. He was recently at a local restaurant that has them: look at the photos above and to the left (photos by Big Frank). These are beautiful fabrics that provide a good amount of shade. Bardenay's, the restaurant in Coeur d'Alene where Big Frank took the photos had stands for the shades custom built (that's the challenge with these shades - the stands to hold them up). The shade is based on the technology of a ship's sail, and need several anchor points to work properly. It's a pretty old idea - the ancient Greeks and Romans used them to provide shade in public places. For example, the Colosseum in ancient Rome was shaded by large canvas shades pulled into place by Roman sailors (no gladiators - they fought beneath them). They are no longer made of canvas, but of a knitted stretch fabric. Big Frank is hoping to be in the shade soon!