Fun & Jokes For Fishin' Folks!!!

S.H.I.T. Happens

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. It was also before commercial fertilizers were invented, so large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped “dried”, since dry manure is lighter than wet manure. But once at sea, the manure often became wet with sea water. It not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane gas. As the manure was stored below decks, in large bundles, you can see what could, and did often happen. Methane built up below decks, and the first time someone went below with a lantern….. BOOOOOM!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening. After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the term “Ship High In Transit” on them. This instructed the sailors to stow the bundles high enough off of the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term “S.H.I.T.”, which has come down through the centuries and it is in use to this very day. And I thought this term was coined by a frustrated bass angler who just lost a “Hawg”???