Yes I agree longer ropes would be useful - I'd like to hang the weather sensor out of the window, for starters!
Just got my Flotilla large starter kit and I dived straight in without really having a clue what I was doing. Here are my first impressions, including (near the end) what I think is quite a cool very simple demo of the colour sensor: http://www.suppertime.co.uk/blogmywiki/2015/12/pimoroni-flotilla-first-impressions/
I didn't seem to have any recipe cards in my kit, unless I mislaid them in the frenzy of unwrapping - I did have the diorama and cards though.