So that's what it's for.

The owner of the fishing boat on slip B09 is going to get a big surprise the next time he takes his boat out.  On Monday 13th I noticed a lady Mallard standing in the bows of this boat.  I checked that she wasn't entangled in anything and continued swabbing the decks.

Half an hour later I noticed she had vanished but I realized I hadn't heard any splashing.  A quick check revealed that the fishing boat's bow cubby-hole was full of mother duck, a double handful of very young ducklings and a lot of broken egg-shells. Now I know what these cubby-holes are for.  They're not for storing odds and ends, they are built-in duck nests.  Sorry, I've no photos.

Tom N