Lent, the Catholic observance during which many abstain from eating meat on Fridays, starts this week.

Fast-food chains only have so many non-meat options — and fish sandwiches are often the most popular choice for observers, so we compared several chains' fishwiches.

Unsurprisingly, most were gross, but a select few actually surprised us.

From the Norse braving the icy northern seas to Columbus aimlessly bumbling into the Caribbean, the ocean has struck fear and trepidation in the heart of man.

A similar feeling of hesitation often accompanies something else from the sea: fast-food fish sandwiches.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish — created for Catholics abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent — started the trend in 1962. Since then, most fast-food chains have introduced a Lent-approved fish sandwich.

But are they any good? "Fast-food fish" doesn't sound seaworthy on paper. We decided to taste test fish sandwiches from seven major chains to find out which fishwiches fill our sails, and which ones deserve a keelhauling.