Cover has a boat and there’s a character named Bard

[Shelli]

My memory on this book is very vague. I read this book sometime between 2007-2009 I believe. I think it’s young adult, but it could possibly be considered a children's book. I remember there being a boat on the cover. There was a character that either was a bard, but I think his name was actually Bard. I think there was one, possibly two kids/preteens in the story as well.

[Becca]

The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer? The bard is called Dragon Tongue but there are a few different covers with boats on them:

[Becca]

Also possibly At the Edge of the World by Avi - it's the second book in the Crispin series, and there's a character called Bear who is a travelling jester

[Orsolya Könyvtáros (formerly Memp)]

I know this is a stretch, but Bartlett and the Ice Voyage? There is a ship on the cover and a preteen boy called Gozo is a character.