From Danforth’s flickr stream.
Writer/comedian Danforth France saw this Dole freighter unloading in San Diego while he was attending last week’s Comic-Con, and he sent me the linked tweet.
The ship is the Dole Honduras – one of two that constitute the banana giant’s Pacific fleet. The vessel makes over 20 annual north-south trips along a route that stretches from San Diego to Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Caldera, Costa Rica; Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Paita, Peru, according to Dole Ocean Cargo.
Danforth’s image was taken July 26, and the vessel’s current schedule indicates that it is handling shorter haul work right now. The Port of San Diego’s Marine Information System indicates that it has already made a full round trip since then, and is due back today. It will depart for Costa Rica on Tuesday, August 4,
The most interesting thing about the vessel is its color. Tradition has it that banana boats be painted white. Chiquita’s ships, starting even before the early 1900s,were known as the “Great White Fleet.” Though the Honduras is a bit of a shabby beige, it fits the traditional scheme, which is more than just custom. Bananas are highly perishable and grown far away. They have to be shipped under refrigeration if they’re to arrive at your supermarket ready-to-ripen, rather than icky brown. But despite these formidable built-in costs, bananas remain incredibly cheap. That seemingly impossible paradox can only be overcome if every cost-cutting measure is taken – so heat-reflecting paint jobs have been part the fruit’s business model almost since day one.
Thanks, Danforth!
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