Banana Bad luck???

[Silent]

Interesting notes people telling "banana have been considered taboo on sailing and fishing boats, and became associated with bad luck. Therefore it is forbidden to have bananas on board"

Seen on Coast & Creek this avro - Taryn was board on Haines Signature 493RF at Bribie Island & Tried luck on crabbing - Nil cos she bought banana!

Another story I know one of my mate who chasing black offshore for hours and Nil, discover his new deckie peeled banana on his boat and he know who to blame...

Love to hear your story to share or believe the Myth's banana or Load of rubbish

[NAGG]

Day 3 @ Awoonga last month ..... I had to buy some more sunblock! .... That afternoon , I was outfished 9- 2
You guessed it ! ..... Banana boat

Got rid of it ........

Next day 4-0 ..... My way

No more banana boat on my boat!!!!

Nagg

[mangomick]

Dont think its been bad luck for boaties since they found out how to keep borers out of the bunches of bananas they were hauling.
Funny how myths get started

[Steve B]

I was told the reason behind 'banana = bad luck" came from the old days when they sailed around the world. Sailors would stock up on pre ripe fruit which would slowly ripen through the journey thus lasting longer on the journey. Bananas, if placed near other fruit will cause the fruit to ripen way quicker then go off quicker..hence the dislike for bananas on boats......this is what I was told....it may not be right but it sounds feasable.

I dont totally beleive the myth it's bad for fishing....I still wont have a banana in the boat just in case!!

I was a non boater in an ABT once, the boater asked if I had any bananas before I climbed in!! he was serious!!

cheers steve

[NAGG]

I cant remember the actual myth ....... but it was feasible ( actually lead to boats capsizing .... due to overloading)

Nagg

PS .... The other was to do with spiders & other bities that were contained with the nanas ( sounds a bit like the trees at Monduran )

[Leighton]

Read on another Forum the reason behind bananas, during the slave trade days Slaves from Africa were loaded into the Hulls of timber boats and only given bananas to eat during there weeks of sailing. The combination of banana peel and body fluids resulted in rotting of the hulls.
I did a charter off the Goldie, before departing the Skipper asked each of us if we had any bananas.
No bananas on my boat, no banana cake or Banana in poppers

[Apollo]

I was told this many years ago and can relate that the only two times I have had mishaps at sea (one dismasting and and another near sinking), have been when someone brought a banana or banana cake aboard. I now ask the banana question. Most of the trawl guys I know are religious about it.

I have heard several theories about it origin, but don't know which is right.

[Silent]

Day 3 @ Awoonga last month ..... I had to buy some more sunblock! .... That afternoon , I was outfished 9- 2
You guessed it ! ..... Banana boat

Got rid of it ........

Next day 4-0 ..... My way

No more banana boat on my boat!!!!

Nagg

Funny thing is banana boat sunblock is my favourite and always leave in my seawasp ever its also banana coloured...Once my workmate was mocked me he'll bring banana smoothie and I say "Ok no worries becuase my boat is full of banana colour" fortunately he picked his biggest Mud snapper (70cm) see my report in estudry/bay section

[youngy]

Haven't eaten a banana in 17 years that is when i started fishing seriosly, my story is i fished with a mate in a gutter on strady one night when we got there in the afternoon he opened his esky and had a BUNCH of bananas in it so i told him of the superstition, he ate them all straight away to get rid of them that night i caught 25 bream he caught 0, i will never eat another one ever. Banana cake is ok it tastes to good to be bad luck. cheers wayne.

[Silent]

I did a charter off the Goldie, before departing the Skipper asked each of us if we had any bananas.
No bananas on my boat, no banana cake or Banana in poppers

Wow he must be totally serious but should give his customers a good fish haul

[bluefin59]

I am the same as captain stabbin no bananas ,no banana cake ,no banana boat nothing to do with them on my boat either ,i know its superstisious garbage but i will just live with that ...matt

[DR]

i don't catch fish because i am hopeless, at least i am honest.. i don't need the 'bananas are bad luck excuse'
'the sky is falling' 'the sky is falling'

i cannot believe that in the 21st century that supposedly educated & civilised people believe this sort of superstition.. might be just me

[Oh Gee]

Are bananas bad luck in a boat. In a word YES.

g

[BrewGuru]

There are many stories why bananas have been thought of as bad luck on boats. This is only one of the nautical superstitions that I know of and is particularly prevalent amongst watermen. Many stories have banana oil rubbing off on ones hands and “spooking" the fish; therefore the fish don't bite. There is always the story of a crew member slipping on the banana peel left on the deck. Some say that bananas give you the runs so you are always in the marine head and can't catch fish because you are busy "draining the pipes". Many other stories are told about bad luck and bananas, however the one that I find most plausible is a historical one.
Back in the days of the transatlantic crossings by wooden sailing ships many hazards would befall the captains, crew and passengers. Disease, pirates, shipwrecks, storms, etc., claimed the lives of a good percentage of the captains, crew and passengers attempting the dangerous voyage. Needless to say, a transatlantic crossing in the 17th and 18th centuries was a very risky endeavor. Often the vessels would stop along the way in tropical islands to gather provisions such as food and water. There the passengers and crew would often purchase wooden crates of bananas from the locals and bring them aboard the ship. These crates would have all manner of critters in them such as bugs, spiders, vermin and snakes.
These critters would make their way into the bilges of the ships, multiply, and then find their way into the captain's quarters. The captains circulated the rumor that bananas were bad luck in an attempt to keep the critters off the ship and out of their cabin. The crew and
passengers were more than eager to follow suit because of the inherent risk of the crossing. So, if the captain announced prior to the voyage that bananas were bad luck and not allowed aboard the vessel, everyone complied. You must remember that these were the days of burning witches and the like, so superstitions were taken very seriously.

[Peter4]

Sorry guys, but this is absolute bloody nonsense IMHO.

I often take bananas aboard my boat and - surprise, surprise - there is no difference in fishing results!

Are you scared of black cats and ladders too?

Regs

Pete