Earlier this month, we had a cheery visitor in Belfast Harbor--a huge yellow rubber ducky, with JOY emblazoned on her breast! She mysteriously appeared on Saturday, August 14. This coincided with the Belfast Harbor Fest, which included an informal exhibition race by Come Boating in our Cornish-style pilot gigs. I was part of the women's race team and after we finished our course we visited Ms. Ducky. It was such a somewhat surreal but entirely delightful way to conclude our race!
After we got off the water, we had a pint at Marshall Wharf Brewing. A tempest brewed up while we were there with fierce winds and an intense deluge of rain. A patron called out, "The duck is loose!" It appeared that she had come off her mooring and was being blown across the harbor! Doing my due diligence, I called the Belfast Harbormaster and reported, "The duck is loose!" They assured me they had it (or her) under control, thankfully! Later, after the storm cleared, we decided to check on her. She was cheeky and buoyant, seemingly unfazed by the gale, though she had migrated to a nearby dock.
I had several other encounters in Sorciere with our big yellow friend over the next week, including a night-time rendezvous' during an almost full moon. It was at this time I came up with "Joy Duck Club," playing off of the book and film with a similar name. I don't know if our duck was lucky, but she sure did bring much joy during her visit to Belfast Harbor and gained some fame, too, being covered by the national press!
She moved on a week after she arrived, bringing her bright yellow charms to another harbor. Word is, she's been spotted in Isleboro!
We miss her! We all could use a little (or big) JOY now and then!