Boating Superstitions
- Episode 049 Your Pocket Sailing Instructor podcast
- Released: April 13, 2023
- Duration: 17 min 27 sec
“No bananas, no whistling, and always step aboard with your right foot. Sailors are a superstitious bunch!” ~ Sailing According to Coach Penny
Life has been throwing me some curveballs lately so I started wondering if I had somehow broken some sacred oath or fallen on bad luck. I just can’t seem to catch a break at the moment, which had me thinking about superstitions and where I may have gone wrong… should I have eaten that banana during that race? Did that black cat on the dock walk in front of me when I wasn’t paying attention? I started to whistle along to that song the other day… did that do it?!
Boating Superstitions: Bananas, Whistling & Other Sailor Traditions
Sailors have always been a little superstitious. And really, can you blame them? When you’re heading out onto a vast ocean, relying on the wind, weather, and a floating vessel to get you safely home, it’s no surprise that a few unusual traditions have developed over the centuries. Some are rooted in practical experience, others in mythology, and a few are just plain entertaining!
In Episode 49 of Your Pocket Sailing Instructor, we’re exploring some of the more curious boating superstitions. From forbidden fruit to the proper way to step aboard, let’s have a little fun with the strange and wonderful traditions of life at sea.
Bananas on Board? Absolutely Not!
Believe it or not, bananas have long been considered bad luck aboard boats, particularly fishing vessels. There are several theories about where this superstition originated, and some actually make a bit of sense!
One popular explanation involves the banana trade. Before refrigeration, bananas spoiled quickly, so ships carrying them needed to reach their destinations as fast as possible. According to the folklore, these vessels travelled so quickly that fishermen aboard had little opportunity to catch anything. Naturally, the bananas got the blame!
Other theories suggest that bananas attracted insects and other unwanted critters, or that their ripening gases caused nearby produce to spoil more quickly. Whether any of these explanations truly gave rise to the superstition is difficult to establish.
Personally, I think it’s hilarious that something as innocent as a banana can cause such concern among sailors. But if someone aboard is convinced they’re bad luck, maybe leave the banana bread at home!
Always Step Aboard with Your Right Foot
Here’s one to remember the next time you board a sailboat: right foot first!
Historically, the left side of the body was sometimes associated with evil or bad omens. In maritime folklore, stepping aboard with your left foot was believed to invite bad luck for the voyage ahead.
Some versions of the superstition suggest that an offending sailor might be tossed overboard, or at least have their shoes thrown into the sea as an offering to Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
Thankfully, we don’t take things quite that far these days! But if you’re stepping aboard a particularly superstitious skipper’s boat, you might want to lead with your right foot. It certainly can’t hurt!
Renaming a Boat: Don’t Upset Neptune!
Thinking of changing your boat’s name? Well, according to maritime tradition, you’d better be careful!
Sailors have long believed that renaming a vessel without following the proper rituals could bring bad luck. According to one popular version of the legend, Neptune keeps a record of every vessel sailing the seas, and changing a boat’s name without informing him could cause all sorts of trouble.
Fortunately, there is a solution: a proper boat renaming ceremony!
This usually involves removing references to the old name, performing a ceremony to purge it from Neptune’s records, and then celebrating the new name with an offering of bubbly to Neptune and the four winds.
I’ll be diving into this tradition in much more detail in Episode 50: Renaming Ceremonies, including what to say and how to perform your own ceremony. Stay tuned!
No Whistling on Board!
Love to whistle while you work? You might want to rethink that habit when you’re out sailing.
According to maritime superstition, whistling aboard a ship could summon strong winds or storms. Sailors believed that whistling might provoke the gods of the wind and sea, including Aeolus and Poseidon.
Of course, when you’re sailing, a little extra wind might sound pretty appealing. But there’s a big difference between a nice afternoon breeze and a full-blown gale!
The expression whistling up a wind also appears in maritime folklore, with sailors sometimes deliberately whistling when becalmed in the hope of encouraging a breeze.
So apparently whistling could be either helpful or disastrous, depending on the circumstances. No wonder sailors have so many rules!
Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight
This is probably one of the best-known sayings in boating:
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.
Unlike some of our other superstitions, this one actually has a little science behind it!
In many mid-latitude regions, weather systems generally move from west to east. A red sunset can indicate clear skies and drier air to the west, potentially suggesting improving weather. A red sunrise, on the other hand, may indicate that clearer weather has already passed and a weather system could be approaching.
Now, this certainly isn’t a substitute for checking a proper marine weather forecast, but it’s a wonderful example of how sailors used observations of the natural world to anticipate changing conditions.
And I have to admit, there’s something pretty special about watching a beautiful red sunset from the cockpit!
Why Are Boats Called ‘She’?
Have you ever wondered why boats are traditionally referred to as she?
There are several theories, including the longstanding practice of naming vessels after women. Captains and shipowners sometimes named their boats after wives, sweethearts, or other important women in their lives.
One romantic explanation suggests that naming a vessel after a beloved woman would encourage the boat to protect her crew and bring them safely home.
Of course, the actual linguistic history is more complicated, and today many sailors simply refer to their boats as it. But the tradition of giving vessels feminine names and personalities remains part of maritime culture.
Anyone who has owned a boat for a while knows that boats seem to develop personalities of their own. Some are wonderfully cooperative, while others seem determined to test our patience at every opportunity!
A Final Word from Coach Penny
Whether you believe in these superstitions or not, they’re a fascinating part of sailing history. They remind us of a time when sailors had limited weather information, unreliable navigation tools, and very little control over the conditions they encountered at sea.
Today, we’ve got GPS, modern forecasting, reliable communications, and all kinds of safety equipment. But somehow, a banana can still make a skipper nervous!
I think these traditions are worth keeping around, even if only for the stories and laughs they inspire. After all, sailing isn’t just about getting from one place to another. It’s about the history, the characters, and the wonderful traditions we share along the way.
So the next time you head out sailing, remember: step aboard with your right foot, keep the whistling to a minimum, and maybe think twice before packing that banana!
Cheers!
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love these too!
- Episode 050: Renaming Ceremonies
- Episode 044: Don’t be a jerk! Boating Etiquette
- Episode 091: When things go sideways: Staying calm under pressure
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Resources
Sailor’s Superstition BINGO card!
Download this 1-page PDF and play sailor’s superstition BINGO on your next voyage! See how many rules you break!
Download –> Sailor’s Superstition BINGO
About Penny Caldwell
Penny Caldwell is a Canadian sailing educator, Sail Canada Instructor Evaluator, marine consultant, and host of the Your Pocket Sailing Instructor podcast. With nearly three decades of teaching experience—and nine seasons spent building and running the successful sailing school Sail Nelson—she has dedicated much of her career to helping people become safer, more capable, and more confident sailors.
She is passionate about helping sailors of all skill levels build confidence, develop practical seamanship skills, and enjoy a lifetime on the water. Through her articles, podcast, instructor development programs, consulting, and sailing adventures, Penny shares practical, real-world knowledge that makes sailing safer, more enjoyable, and more accessible for everyone.
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Sailing is a lifelong learning journey, and some of the best ideas come from fellow sailors. Have a question about this topic, or a tip you’d like to share? Leave a comment below—I read every one and enjoy hearing about your experiences on the water!
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