Bananas! A crescent shaped yellow fruit. Who would think these edible, delectable fruits could give Captains such a fit aboard a vessel. Not these potassium rich, vitamin enriched fruits. A fruit that has become the weekend warrior best friend to help prevent cramps and over exertion. What could possibly be wrong with such a fantastic snack?

In years past, worldwide maritime superstitions have led some to believe that the banana at sea can be detrimental to life and property. Today, and the most of the latter part of the twentieth century they are just considered bad luck. This superstition is carried on mostly by marlin fishermen who believe that a banana on board will jinx the vessel and anything that could go wrong will go wrong. From Boston to the south end of South America, Australia westward to Kona, Hawaii, talk with any of these fishermen and you will find that bananas are not allowed on their boats.

What facts do we have to substantiate these superstitions? Back in the early 1700’s, when the Spanish would travel throughout the South Atlantic and Caribbean trading goods, it is believed, that a good number of those boats that did not return home had bananas in their cargo. The Spaniards would sail around the Caribbean trading for whatever the queen might want, or what might bring them a handsome price back home, with their final stop being in Cuba. Here they would load up with bananas, head north out of Havana, pick up the Gulf stream in the Florida Straits to aid in getting home. The boats that did not make it were supposedly carrying our little yellow friends.