BANANAS AND BAD LUCK

8 superstitions to boat by

By Desiree Miller

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MIKE MOCKFORD

TThe first time I was invited on a sailboat, there were a few rules to abide by: have a lifejacket, wear closed toe, non-marking shoes, and under no circumstance was I to bring a banana on board. The captain was not a picky eater, rather, he followed a set of ancient boating superstitions that still hold power over boaters today.

Why the superstitions? The origins of these beliefs stem from the early days of sea travel when sailors ventured into uncharted waters for fishing, trading and exploration. At a time when scientific explanations for the various dangers and phenomena were unknown, these mariners put faith in the greater powers to help guide their safe passage. Believing in superstitions was a way to have a sense of control, when so many important parts of their life were unpredictable and dangerous. With technology, experience and documentation, boating today is a much more understood and safe adventure. However, since these beliefs seemed to work for centuries, many boaters don’t want to mess with a good thing. Over the years, these myths and superstitions have continued to grow and some of the true origins have been lost to time. But it’s still fun to speculate on how these things become accepted. Here’s a look at some classic, and odd, superstitions to boat by.

No Bananas Allowed

This first superstition is perhaps the silliest, but also has an explanation based in reality. Dating back to the 1700s, on trade routes between Spain and the Caribbean, spiders and snakes would often hide in crates of bananas.

Since both can cause harmful and deadly bites, the fear was that having crates of bananas on board put the crew members at risk.

This troublesome fruit was also notorious for spoiling cargo during fruit trades. Before it was widely understood that bananas release ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process, bananas were responsible for rotting other fruits on board, and jeopardizing the ship’s cargo.

Fishermen on board also had a

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• Swiftsure Long Course Races & Inshore Classic Races: TuesdayMay23rd at www.swiftsure.org/registration problem with this fruit. The theory goes, that since bananas decayed so quickly, ships carrying bananas had to travel quickly to make sure they wouldn’t spoil before reaching port. At this increased rate of speed, those wanting to troll for fish did not have the time or opportunity to catch anything. There is another theory that ethylene also repels fish. Therefore, bananas on the boat came to mean no fish. to ensure safe passage. If by chance the left foot was used first, the immediate response was to throw the person’s shoes overboard in an attempt to undo this bad omen. These days, left-handed people aren’t shunned by society, but the next time you’re stepping on a boat, think about which foot goes first. Because why risk it? make it difficult for a captain and crew to do business—if the name was unrecognizable.

It could all be folklore, but when former Pacific Yachting editor Dale Miller, and sales executive Tyrone Stelzenmuller did their first Vic-Maui race, they found themselves in open seas with zero wind. A crossing that averages two weeks left the crew at sea for 21 days. After nearly running out of food and water, they had to make the challenging decision to abandon the race. Right around the time when that decision was made, they found a bag of trail mix containing dried banana slices. Coincidence?

If a boat needs to be renamed, there are critical steps to take in the de- and renaming process. These steps include removing any traces of the boat’s old name, including logbooks, paperwork and the name on the hull. A ceremony must be performed as well—like the classic ritual of writing the original name on a piece of paper, folding it, putting it in a box and burning it. The ashes are then tossed into an outgoing tide. An offering to Poseidon is also expected, lest he should take offense to the boat’s new name. Once all traces of the boat’s former name are destroyed, the boat can be christened with a new name.

No Whistling

DON’T CHANGE A BOAT’S NAME

The name of the boat is both spiritual and practical. Once a boat is named, it has been recorded in Poseidon’s “Ledger of the Deep,” which keeps track of boat names travelling the sea and ensures that no harm comes to boats that are listed. To change a boat’s name, means you’re trying to trick the sea gods, which everyone knows is a very bad idea. From a practical point of view, trade ships relied on their reputations at the various ports of call, and to change the name of the boat could

You know how to whistle don’t you? Well, according to mariners, it’s best you don’t. Whistling on a boat is considered to be a challenge to the wind gods and it will stir up the wind, get it moving and cause bad weather and rough seas. The same could be said of singing and clapping, which are said to be able to trigger a thunderstorm. However, for sailors who happen to be stuck in windless waters, whistling could be used to their benefit, to bring on the wind and get the boat moving. This superstition, unfortunately, did not turn out to be true for the fateful crew on the aforementioned Vic-Maui race.

Right Foot Forward

The well-known phrase “get off on the right foot” stems from ancient belief that the left side of the body is cursed. In Latin, the word sinister, means “on the left side” and thus during the Middle Ages with predominantly righthanded populations, certain religions associated left with evil. Sailors put a lot of faith in superstitions to guide them, so when getting on to a boat, one was to step with the right foot first

Cats Are Good Omens

Cats have been a welcomed crew member since the early days of sailing. Trading, exploration and naval ships all made sure to have a ship’s cat to control the rat population on board. Rats were notorious for gnawing on ropes and wood, stealing food and, later, chewing on wires. Most importantly, they would spread disease to the food and people on the boat. The cat’s role was to hunt, catch and eliminate these rodents.

With long travel routes, cats were also a source of comfort to the sailors. Rumour has it, if a cat approaches you, it brings good luck. On the contrary, if it turns away, it brings bad luck. So even though rats on board aren’t much of a problem for cruisers these days, it is still in your best interests to make sure the ship’s cat is well fed and treated with respect.

RED SKY AT NIGHT, SAILOR’S DELIGHT; RED SKY IN MORNING, SAILORS TAKE WARNING

This iconic rhyme has been a trusted weather forecaster more than 2,000 years. Cited in the New Testament, the trusted phrase was “established wisdom that prevailed among the Jews of the First century AD by Jesus in Matthew 16:2-3.”

The theory goes, if the sky is red at sunset, high pressure and stable air