Banana boat is a descriptive nickname that was given to fast ships, also called banana carriers, engaged in the banana trade. They were designed to transport easily spoiled bananas rapidly from tropical growing areas to North America and Europe. They often carried passengers as well as fruit.[1][2]
During the first half of the twentieth century, the refrigerated ships, such as SS Antigua and SS Contessa, engaged in the Central America to United States trade also operated as luxurious passenger vessels. Surplus naval vessels were converted in some cases in the search for speed with Standard Fruit converting four U.S. Navy destroyer hulls, without machinery, to the banana carriers Masaya, Matagalpa, Tabasco and Teapa in 1932.[3][4] Transfers to naval service served as transports and particularly chilled stores ships such as USS Mizar, the United Fruit passenger and banana carrier Quirigua, and the lead ship of a group that were known as the Mizar class of stores ships. Modern banana boats tend to be reefer ships or other refrigerated ships that carry cooled bananas on one leg of a voyage, then general cargo on the return leg.
1916 advertisement for the United Fruit Company Steamship Service
The large fruit companies such as Standard Fruit Company, United Fruit Company in the United States and Elders & Fyffes Shipping, which itself came under control of the United Fruit Company in 1910, in the banana trade acquired or built ships for the purpose, some strictly banana carriers and others with passenger accommodations.[3][5][6]
United Fruit operated a large fleet, advertised as The Great White Fleet, for over a century until its successor Chiquita Brands International sold the last ships in a sale with leaseback in 2007 of eight refrigerated and four container ships that transported approximately 70% of the company's bananas to North America and Europe.[7][8] At one time the fleet consisted of 100 refrigerated ships and was the world's largest private fleet with some being lent to the Central Intelligence Agency to support the attempted overthrow of the Castro regime in the Bay of Pigs landing.[9]
Travelers to and from the West Indies also used the banana boats as a form of transportation. The English cricket team that toured the West Indies in 1959–1960 used banana boats to travel across the Atlantic and between the islands.[citation needed] They were better known for bringing West Indian immigrants to Great Britain, and to say that someone came off a banana boat was a derogatory phrase used by those who objected to their arrival. It fell out of use in the 1970s, as by then most of the British African-Caribbean community had been born in the UK.
^S. Swiggum and M. Kohli (September 21, 2009). "Fruit Shipping Companies / Banana Boats". TheShipList. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^Naval History And Heritage Command. "Recollections of Ensign Leonard W. Tate Recounting His Service in the US Navy Including the Invasion of Southern France and with SACO [Sino-American Cooperative Association] in China During World War II". Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
^ abS. Swiggum and M. Kohli (August 28, 2013). "Standard Fruit Co / Vaccaro Brothers". TheShipList. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^Naval History and Heritage Command. "Osborne". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^S. Swiggum and M. Kohli (November 23, 2006). "United Fruit Company". TheShipList. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^S. Swiggum and M. Kohli (November 9, 2007). "Elders & Fyffes Shipping, Limited—Fyffes Group, Limited / Fyffes PLC—Geest Line". TheShipList. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^Baker Library—Historical Collections. "United Fruit Company Photograph Collection, 1891–1962". Harvard University—Baker Library. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
^TMC News (May 2, 2007). "Chiquita sells remaining Great White Fleet". Informa Maritime Trade and Transport. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
^Chapman, Peter (May 15, 2007). "Rotten fruit". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
External links
Fruit Shipping Companies / Banana Boats (List of fruit companies with links to fleet lists)
1950 United Fruit Company promotional booklet showing Antigua/Quirigua/Veragua/Jamaica/Talamanca/Chiriqui examples of passenger accommodations
On board a Vaccaro Line steamer
Interior views of sister ships Contessa and Cefalu
"The Banana Boats Are In!
April 28, 2023
banana, boat, ship, other, uses, banana, boat, banana, boat, descriptive, nickname, that, given, fast, ships, also, called, banana, carriers, engaged, banana, trade, they, were, designed, transport, easily, spoiled, bananas, rapidly, from, tropical, growing, a. For other uses see Banana boat Banana boat is a descriptive nickname that was given to fast ships also called banana carriers engaged in the banana trade They were designed to transport easily spoiled bananas rapidly from tropical growing areas to North America and Europe They often carried passengers as well as fruit 1 2 United Fruit Company s Veragua as USS Merak Contents 1 History 2 In popular culture 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory Edit Doris Turnbull in overalls as a passenger enjoying life on a banana boat May 1926 Barbados to Avonmouth England after working in Barbados Her handwritten note at bottom reads After visit round Banana holds During the first half of the twentieth century the refrigerated ships such as SS Antigua and SS Contessa engaged in the Central America to United States trade also operated as luxurious passenger vessels Surplus naval vessels were converted in some cases in the search for speed with Standard Fruit converting four U S Navy destroyer hulls without machinery to the banana carriers Masaya Matagalpa Tabasco and Teapa in 1932 3 4 Transfers to naval service served as transports and particularly chilled stores ships such as USS Mizar the United Fruit passenger and banana carrier Quirigua and the lead ship of a group that were known as the Mizar class of stores ships Modern banana boats tend to be reefer ships or other refrigerated ships that carry cooled bananas on one leg of a voyage then general cargo on the return leg 1916 advertisement for the United Fruit Company Steamship Service The large fruit companies such as Standard Fruit Company United Fruit Company in the United States and Elders amp Fyffes Shipping which itself came under control of the United Fruit Company in 1910 in the banana trade acquired or built ships for the purpose some strictly banana carriers and others with passenger accommodations 3 5 6 United Fruit operated a large fleet advertised as The Great White Fleet for over a century until its successor Chiquita Brands International sold the last ships in a sale with leaseback in 2007 of eight refrigerated and four container ships that transported approximately 70 of the company s bananas to North America and Europe 7 8 At one time the fleet consisted of 100 refrigerated ships and was the world s largest private fleet with some being lent to the Central Intelligence Agency to support the attempted overthrow of the Castro regime in the Bay of Pigs landing 9 Travelers to and from the West Indies also used the banana boats as a form of transportation The English cricket team that toured the West Indies in 1959 1960 used banana boats to travel across the Atlantic and between the islands citation needed They were better known for bringing West Indian immigrants to Great Britain and to say that someone came off a banana boat was a derogatory phrase used by those who objected to their arrival It fell out of use in the 1970s as by then most of the British African Caribbean community had been born in the UK In popular culture EditThe term banana boat is perhaps best known today in the context of Harry Belafonte s 1956 hit recording Day O The Banana Boat Song Gallery Edit Anti aircraft ship HMS Palomares 1941 converted banana boat MV Palomares SS Antigua November 1942 SS Abangarez a United Fruit banana boat circa 1945 MV Dole Ecuador Dole s ship Tropical Mist Hamburg portSee also EditBanana republicReferences Edit S Swiggum and M Kohli September 21 2009 Fruit Shipping Companies Banana Boats TheShipList Retrieved 15 September 2014 Naval History And Heritage Command Recollections of Ensign Leonard W Tate Recounting His Service in the US Navy Including the Invasion of Southern France and with SACO Sino American Cooperative Association in China During World War II Naval History And Heritage Command Retrieved 14 September 2014 a b S Swiggum and M Kohli August 28 2013 Standard Fruit Co Vaccaro Brothers TheShipList Retrieved 15 September 2014 Naval History and Heritage Command Osborne Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Naval History and Heritage Command Retrieved 15 September 2014 S Swiggum and M Kohli November 23 2006 United Fruit Company TheShipList Retrieved 15 September 2014 S Swiggum and M Kohli November 9 2007 Elders amp Fyffes Shipping Limited Fyffes Group Limited Fyffes PLC Geest Line TheShipList Retrieved 15 September 2014 Baker Library Historical Collections United Fruit Company Photograph Collection 1891 1962 Harvard University Baker Library Retrieved 16 September 2014 TMC News May 2 2007 Chiquita sells remaining Great White Fleet Informa Maritime Trade and Transport Retrieved 16 September 2014 Chapman Peter May 15 2007 Rotten fruit Financial Times Retrieved 16 September 2014 External links EditFruit Shipping Companies Banana Boats List of fruit companies with links to fleet lists Antigua Quirigua Veragua Jamaica Talamanca Chiriqui deck cabin plans 1950 United Fruit Company promotional booklet showing Antigua Quirigua Veragua Jamaica Talamanca Chiriqui examples of passenger accommodations On board a Vaccaro Line steamer Interior views of sister ships Contessa and Cefalu The Banana Boats Are In Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Banana boat ship amp oldid 1117156204, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
