Banana Superstitions

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by tacklebox

HOLY FUGGIN ISHHTTT.....

This is actually right on. It's a old maritime thing. Before refrigeration boats traveling used to stop at various ports along the way and take on provisions.

Bananas were considered bad luck, and not suitable as provisions in many areas.

Wandering spiders from south and central America are the most venomous spiders in the world. They have no webs, they are hunters. They hide in dark places during the day, then come out at night to feed. One place they like to hide is in bunches of bananas, so often when people would bring bananas on board in tropical areas they would end up with Wandering spiders on their boats.

Their bites cause pain dementia respiratory paralysis and death.

Know why Sport boats are called "Cattle Boats"?

Back in the day before railroads and cattle drives, cattle were shipped by boat to big cities on the coast. Working a cattle boat was the worst duty a sailor could ask for do to the crap, puke, injured animals, etc....

Fishing boats that took out non-sailors and amature fisherman were seen as no better then cattle boat duty, because no real sailor wanted to babysit a bunch of landlubbers all day.

[lowprofile]

never eat charms...

[swinginFish]

When bananas ripen they give off ethylene - a gas that hastens the ripening of other fruit. On ships that used to transport fruit, a few ripening bananas in the hold could cause a shipment of other items to spoil -the lost revenue tended to piss off the ill-paid crew (folks didn't know from ethylene back then), so bananas got a bad rap amongst traditionally superstitious sailors.

I, too, bring 'em along on the kayak, but not on boats. Have caught fish while eating them, as well as just after tossing a peel in the water. Am one for fishing mojo (never - I mean NEVER - wash my fishing hat), and evade bad fishing juju, but thus far, can't say as banana's on the water do anything but taste good.

AE