Slice each gouda round in half, leaving the wax on for a red ship or removing it for a white ship, and set aside.
Lay each of the small paper pirate flags face side down on a work surface and affix two cocktail sticks to the back of each, leaving a little bit of space between the sticks.
Place two halves of gouda next to each other so that they form a small boat – garnish each one with a pirate flag!