The Plover

The Plover is the small, green fishing trawler that Declan purchases at the age of seventeen and about two decades later uses to journey out into the Pacific. In addition to being an important object and symbol in the novel (see the Symbols and Symbolism section), the Plover proves to be an important setting for the novel. The Plover is moved by wind and motor, has a bathroom and shower, a kitchen (called a galley), a wheelhouse for steering, a cabin and bunk for sleeping, a small common area, storage areas, and a main deck. The Plover becomes home to Declan, Piko, Pipa, and several other people who come to inhabit the ship. It is where they end up spending most of their time, doing everything from sleeping to cooking to sailing to attempting to figure out their lives. The Plover becomes a temporary home for Declan...