Do you have associations with the term “banana boat,” like maybe a song . . . this one? I’ll bet you’ve sung along.
Get my drift? Maybe not yet?
I’m no good judge of how common the word “platanos” is in English because it’s been in my vocabulary for too long.
Painted battleship gray and sporting a name like platanos might be considered subterfuge . . . ,
a crude oil carrier getting named as “plantains” . . . well, bananas. I know banana boats and this is not a banana boat, even if it comes from that banana-producing area called Point Tupper, right, Jack?
I’m pushing it here, but maybe port of registry should say “maduro,” at least that’s my favorite format. Maybe the fleet mate is called “papa criolla”?
All photos and warped humor, WVD, whose previous “names” posts can be seen here.
tugster: a waterblog 
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September 15, 2022 at 12:39 pm
Timothy Street
I was stationed aboard the USCGC Point Estero in Gulfport, MS during the 80’s – the banana boat capitol of the country. The bananas were not any cheaper in the local grocery stores, unfortunately.
September 15, 2022 at 4:07 pm
tugster
Thx, Timothy. I had to look that up, and I see Gulfport has fallen to #2 position, after Wilmington DE: http://digitaledition.qwinc.com/publication/?i=625420&article_id=3500837&view=articleBrowser
September 16, 2022 at 8:07 am
Timothy Street
That’s interesting, and made me wonder if the Gulfport facilities had reached capacity, or possibly Wilmington has better access to exports suitable for the banana boats’ return trips. I did see that Wilmington is the #1 exported of livestock in the U.S. Doubt if that is a cargo shipped by the boats –
September 16, 2022 at 6:07 pm
tugster
Until about 10 years ago, cattle ships did call in Wilmington. They’d also come up to NYC for repairs, like here: https://tugster.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/falconia/ and here https://tugster.wordpress.com/tag/shorthorn-express/
September 15, 2022 at 3:58 pm
James H Maugham
Samos vessel, name Platanos is from a village in Greece. Many of their vessels’ names have a Greek influence or background.
September 15, 2022 at 4:03 pm
tugster
James- I appreciate the clarification. Vessels so times have unusual names, but a village in Greece is a much more plausible if not as humorous name. Here are some images: https://www.robertharding.com/index.php?lang=en&page=search&s=platanos&smode=0&zoom=1&display=5&sortby=1&bgcolour=white
September 15, 2022 at 4:34 pm
James H Maugham
I very much appreciated the humor.
September 15, 2022 at 5:09 pm
tugster
Since you appreciate the humor, I had intended to bring up “banana” as Alfred E. Kahn’s euphemism for “economic depression.” You may remember this . . . https://anecdotage.com/anecdotes/alfred-e-kahn-worst-banana-in-45-years-161473
September 15, 2022 at 6:51 pm
James H Maugham
I’ll be 75YO tomorrow, I well remember Professor Kahn’s use of verbal subterfuge.