PLYMOUTH —
By Rich Harbert
Posted Jun 12, 2010 @ 06:00 AM
A twist on the beloved children’s story Make Way For Ducklings is playing out on a lobster boat in Plymouth Harbor.
Capt. Dan Galvin’s version would be better titled No Wake For Ducklings.
Galvin is cutting back on his lobstering this month after finding his boat, the Genna Lynne, is home to a nest of duck eggs.
Galvin and his stern man, Bob Urichuk, discovered the nest earlier this week after noticing how a duck kept trying to land on the boat when they arrived early in the morning for a day of fishing.
The third morning they realized the duck was actually taking off. They concluded the bird must be nesting and found four eggs in a woolen nest under some survival gear.
Galvin did some research and learned the ducklings typically hatch in 25 to 28 days.
He has no idea when the eggs were laid but expects to see ducklings within the next couple of weeks.
Galvin runs a power washing business and generally only goes out on the boat on days when business is slow and weather is favorable. The boat had been sitting in the water unattended for about two weeks before he and Urichuk first noticed the duck last Thursday. They spotted the duck again Friday and, after a weekend off, discovered the nest Monday.
“I have no idea where she went when we were out on water. We’re out sometimes for six to eight hours,” Galvin said. “It’s bizarre.”
The Galvins were instantly reminded of Make Way For Ducklings, Robert McCloskey’s story of how Boston police officers comes to the rescue of a family of mallards making its way across busy city streets to the city’s Public Garden. The 1941 picture book remains a classic among children of all ages and spawned a monument in the Public Garden to Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack.
Rack, Sack, Tack and Uack may not be far behind.
Galvin’s power washing business has kept him off the water this week and an upcoming family vacation should get the duck family through nesting season.
“We were trying to think up names, like Make Wake For Ducklings, but it’s basically No Wake For Ducklings because we’re not going out right now,” Galvin said. “We’ll just leave her alone and let the ducks hatch and, hopefully, four little ducklings will be out there soon.”