nautical superstition

S

sundancer9000

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Nov 2007
Messages
167
Location
Northern Ireland lough neagh
Visit site
im interested in old tales and belief associated with boating. I have heard never whistle on a boat as old fishermen where afraid of calling the wind resulting in a storm! Also if a ginger haired priest was seen near your boat you didnt go out! Any other old tales out there?
 
AndieMac said:
Never carry bananas on a boat, causes bad luck.
Click to expand...

I am not superstitious BUT...

This one I agree with.

A friend new I was not inclined to have bananas on my boat and with one stashed onboard his he came alongside telling me he had a present for me.
Bending down to grab the bent yellow fruit he stood up and promptly knocked himself out on the deckhead of his cuddy.

Had a TV / journalist fisherman join my crew for a day Cod fishing in the channel.
On the way out I caught him eating a banana whilst sat on the transom.

Later that day my favourite rod got snapped.

I was Marlin fishing in Cape Verde and the fishing should have been on fire.
We had been hit by Blue Marlin no less than 12 times, but were yet to connect with any.
I spotted the little yellow peril in my angling pals lunch box and didn't need prompting as I threw it into the sea.
Without the nasty yellow thing onboard we ended the day 4 fish leadered for 16 bites.

Last year on a mid channel wrecking trip aboard my boat Quest II, angling mate Malcolm grabbed one of the horrid things from his lunch box and I said, "That's it, we're all doomed."
Malcolm scoffed (figuritively speaking), "Don't be ridiculous, you shouldn't believe that ****."
About an hour later our boats engine snapped the crank shaft leaving us adrift on the edge of the shipping lanes.

NEVER EVER have a banana on an angling boat!
 
Nautibusiness said:
I am not superstitious BUT...

This one I agree with.

A friend new I was not inclined to have bananas on my boat and with one stashed onboard his he came alongside telling me he had a present for me.
Bending down to grab the bent yellow fruit he stood up and promptly knocked himself out on the deckhead of his cuddy.

Had a TV / journalist fisherman join my crew for a day Cod fishing in the channel.
On the way out I caught him eating a banana whilst sat on the transom.

Later that day my favourite rod got snapped.

I was Marlin fishing in Cape Verde and the fishing should have been on fire.
We had been hit by Blue Marlin no less than 12 times, but were yet to connect with any.
I spotted the little yellow peril in my angling pals lunch box and didn't need prompting as I threw it into the sea.
Without the nasty yellow thing onboard we ended the day 4 fish leadered for 16 bites.

Last year on a mid channel wrecking trip aboard my boat Quest II, angling mate Malcolm grabbed one of the horrid things from his lunch box and I said, "That's it, we're all doomed."
Malcolm scoffed (figuritively speaking), "Don't be ridiculous, you shouldn't believe that ****."
About an hour later our boats engine snapped the crank shaft leaving us adrift on the edge of the shipping lanes.

NEVER EVER have a banana on an angling boat!
Click to expand...

Blimey Tom, we've almost always got a couple onboard. Does that mean that i'm not really a cr4p angler, just need to get rid af the nana's ?
 
Bananas

What is the origin of this superstition? I do not know, but I have a mate who is diabetic, and eats the things, he also likes to come fishing but every time we/he comes the fishing is rubbish, it came to a head yesterday when we covered 46 miles of the southern north sea trying to find a fish I found him again eating a yellow peril, he is now banned from my boat unless he submits to a full body search before we leave the Marina.

found a bit of info, and supports my experiences

There are many theories on why people believe bananas are bad luck for a boat. One superstition is that boats carrying bananas don't catch fish. The origin of this belief dates back to the Caribbean trade of the 1700s. The wooden sailing boats of that time had to move quickly to deliver bananas before they spoiled, and fishermen had a hard time trolling for fish on such fast-moving boats, which is how the superstition came about. Another superstition that originated during that time is that bananas will cause a boat to sink. This belief developed after many boats never made it to their destinations, and all of the doomed boats were carrying bananas.

One of the creepier superstitions is that banana cargo could actually kill a man. In actuality, fermenting bananas do give off methane gas, which could conceivably get trapped below deck and kill any crew members unlucky enough to be working in the hold. Another popular theory was that venomous spiders hitched rides in bananas, and once those bananas were onboard, the boat would be host to any number of lethal critters. And then, of course, there's the theory that banana peels cause crew members to slip and fall on deck [source: Attah].

Suitcases onboard is a fishing boat no-no as well. Even when camera crew boarded crab boats to film Discovery Channel's reality series "Deadliest Catch," they were asked to leave their equipment suitcases on the dock [source: Deadliest Catch].

The origins of the suitcase superstition are murky, and the superstition has variations. For example, some sailors are superstitious of all luggage; some only ban black suitcases and bags. But everyone seems to agree that a suitcase is a harbinger of death or illness. Black bags are considered bad because black is the color of death and a metaphor for the depths of the dark, cold sea. Some fisherman say that travel bags resemble body bags, another obvious symbol of death.

Why do crab boat captains and crew hang on to these superstitions? Probably for the same reason the superstitions began. Even with modern understanding of science and weather patterns, we still perceive the sea as a mysterious and treacherous place. Beliefs and superstitions are passed down from generation to generation, from fisherman to fisherman, and it's a brave sailor who turns his (or her) back on tradition. Would you be willing to see what happens when you reject a centuries-old superstition?

Yes, we have no bananas -- but we do have some interesting links on the next page
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top