Banana boat (ship)
Encyclopedia
A banana boat is a ship that carries banana
s as a primary cargo, or is otherwise engaged in the banana trade. As the main produce of the West indies was bananas they were also used as a form of cheap transportation and the English cricket team that toured the West Indies in 1959–60 used banana boats to travel across the Atlantic and between the islands. 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 phase used by those who objected to their arrival. It fell out of use in the 1980s as by then most of the British African-Caribbean community
had been born in the UK. 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.
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s as a primary cargo, or is otherwise engaged in the banana trade. As the main produce of the West indies was bananas they were also used as a form of cheap transportation and the English cricket team that toured the West Indies in 1959–60 used banana boats to travel across the Atlantic and between the islands. They were better known for bringing West Indian immigrants to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and to say that someone 'came off a banana boat' was a derogatory phase used by those who objected to their arrival. It fell out of use in the 1980s as by then most of the British African-Caribbean community
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
had been born in the UK. 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.