thanks very much for your advise I will see what we can do. i will try and add some pictures.
although i want to keep my options open as would not want to make the wrong decision. Crispy has only been on top deck to run around and for a swim once twice a day the rest of the time he runs around inside, he has not been off the boat yet, as I have been worried incase he jumped in the river and the tide was too strong. but I have thought of another option of maybe when i introduce him to the outside permanently when he goes and plops in the river for a swim he will be surrounded by ten to twenty other ducks all swimming around , wild they may be but would he eventually interact with them or would he be an outcast? so would getting him a friend not be such a hasty move when he has access to loads of ducky friends eventually
Those are good questions for the Duck forum. I've never had ducklings but the folks over there should be able to help.