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Thread: Spiders on banana boats

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    Default Spiders on banana boats

    I saw on a TV programme on BBC4 last evening regarding docks and it was mentioned that dockers working on banana boats were paid extra money because of finding spiders amongst the fruit. Were the banana boats that brought the fruit over full of spiders and other bugs?

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    Default Re: Spiders on banana boats

    That series you mention Ships Seaman and Stevedore's is a great watch anyone who has BBC Catch up its well worth a watch, Them skin boats where ok while the Bananas where refrigerated down the hold discharging or loading them was a different ball game. They did get extra money but believe me it wasn't enough to retire on. I know by my old man who was on the docks for years and there where dockers who could and did refuse to work them and it was union policy. Terry
    {terry scouse}

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    Default Re: Spiders on banana boats

    I sailed on a lot of skin boats and they were full of BIG spiders.
    worst time was outward bound when cleaning hatches for the next load.some a lot Bigger than the hand. many poisonous.. We carried the serum if bitten. We caught a lot in Jars and sent them to the Liverpool School of Tropical medicine.
    They were in the accommodation, I awoke one day and a BIG One was sat on my face, looking up its tail pipe. not a pretty sight.
    I knocked it off and it ran to my seaboot, and jumped in, I filled the seaboot with Shelltox it floated to the top and jumped out, I ran outside and it followed me, so I got a deck broom and battered it.
    We also had snakes and banana rats, small with bushy tails like a squirrel.
    and occasionally stowaways.
    When Loaded we went down the holds everyday to inspect the bananas and if one banana turned yellow the whole stalk was taken out and dumped over the wall.
    We never got any extra money for Living with spiders, The Dockers were big softees

    Brian
    Last edited by Captain Kong; 17th June 2020 at 03:55 PM.

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    Default Re: Spiders on banana boats

    I did three trips on the Changinola 1960 never saw a spider until I bought one in a pack of bananas from Tesco in Whiston Merseyside.
    R635733

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    Default Re: Spiders on banana boats

    #3... was that before the bent ones got thrown overboard Brian.? How did the EU manage to. Measure the curvature of a banana, some converted. Rope gauge maybe ? Not being too serious just joking. Every time I look at a banana I think of that ridiculous law enforced by ridiculous people , and was enough for sane minded people to start the cry let’s get out of here. Bet the spiders didn’t care how bent they were. Cheers JS.
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    Default Re: Spiders on banana boats

    John, the bend was not on the Bananas more on the drop kicks who decided they should all be straight.
    No doubt some of them were a bit bent anyway.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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