News|Articles|November 12, 2026

Why Some Boats Ban Bananas

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Key Takeaways

Some charter fishing operators enforce outright banana prohibitions, occasionally returning to port to remove the fruit and extending bans to banana-branded products.
Rapid spoilage pressures in 1700s Caribbean banana transport may have discouraged trolling, associating banana cargo with unproductive fishing trips.
Fermenting bananas can release methane, theoretically creating a hazardous below-deck gas accumulation risk on wooden sailing vessels.
Accounts of venomous spiders hiding in banana bunches provide an additional occupational hazard narrative that may have reinforced the taboo.
Slip-and-fall injuries from discarded banana peels represent a practical mechanism by which bananas could be viewed as dangerous onboard.

Fun Fact! Some fishing crews consider bananas bad luck, even banning Banana Boat sunscreen; theories cite fast 1700s Caribbean banana boats, methane gas, spiders, and slippery peels.

Fun Fact! According to HowStuffWorks, many charter fishing crews strictly prohibit bananas on board, and some will return to the dock to remove the fruit. Some charters extend the ban to Banana Boat sunscreen and Banana Republic clothing. The article traces the superstition to several possible origins, including the Caribbean banana trade of the 1700s, when wooden sailing boats had to move quickly to deliver bananas before they spoiled, making it difficult to troll for fish. Another theory holds that banana cargo could kill a person. The article notes that fermenting bananas do give off methane gas, which could potentially become trapped below deck, and that venomous spiders were said to hide in the fruit. Another suggests crew members slipped on discarded peels.

Source: Ronca D. Why are fishermen superstitious of bananas? HowStuffWorks. Accessed November 12, 2026. https://people.howstuffworks.com/fishing-superstition.htm

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