FullCircle
Well-known member
Just how much do you need?
Does it actually work?
How do you stay in your own oil slick?
Does it actually work?
How do you stay in your own oil slick?
Oil on troubled waters?
- Thread starter FullCircle
- Start date
Leighb
Well-known member
If you read some of the old cruising books they talk about an "oil bag" I think the idea is that you hang that in the water on the windward side. The oil leaks out and creates a smoother area which will always be to windward as the yacht - either lying a-hull or hove to - makes steady leeway.
I have no personal experience you understand.
I have no personal experience you understand.
Marley's_Slave
New member
Why do you want to take the fun outa sailing?
Habebty
Well-known member
I have seen a picture of a reservoir for a hand pumped oil supply on a lifeboat for creating a smooth patch of water in tempestuous seas!
(Buggered if I can remember where though)
(Buggered if I can remember where though)
Richard10002
Well-known member
Fairly sure it works, but it's a long time since I thought about how. Worth a google. Think it sits on the water and minimises breaking and spray.
Giblets
Well-known member
That shown in the recent Ade Edmuson tv prog, Ade At Sea. He was in an old lifeboat and pointed out that feature.
prv
Well-known member
I have a late-70s edition of Adlard Coles's magnum opus. He mentions oil, either seeping from bags or pumped out through the heads, and says he used to carry oil bags but never used them. The oil was some kind of "heavy fish oil" apparently, which is admirably green though I'm sure they didn't give a toss in those days.
His conclusion overall was that oil wasn't useful in the sort of quantities that a yacht could sensibly manage. He reckoned it would need a substantial ship to rig a spray from its fuel bunkers to have any effect worth the effort. And messing about with oil on a small boat was likely to just make the decks slippery and hence more dangerous.
Pete
His conclusion overall was that oil wasn't useful in the sort of quantities that a yacht could sensibly manage. He reckoned it would need a substantial ship to rig a spray from its fuel bunkers to have any effect worth the effort. And messing about with oil on a small boat was likely to just make the decks slippery and hence more dangerous.
Pete
Fantasie 19
Well-known member
Just finished reading "The Golden Keel" (fiction I'm afraid) but Mr Bagley uses that ploy when his hero's boat is caught in a severe storm.... the book was written in '63, so clearly the idea was prevalent then....
bedouin
Well-known member
It is a long time since I read it but I think the Pardeys' book on heavy weather sailing suggests this method. As far as I can tell it can only really work if you are hove too and drifting slowly down-wave so that you stay in the lea of your oil slick
prv
Well-known member
The Pardeys use the word "slick", but I don't think they mean oil. Just the flattened water left behind a long-keeled boat moving slowly sideways.
Pete
caiman
Member
Whale oil was used as 'wave subdueing' oil on double ended Lifeboats such as the Chieftain as mentioned above.Sprayed either side of the boat from a dedicated tank/ pump.Certainly fitted as standard on double enders in 1982,but gone by 1992 in the transom stern Lifeboats.
I have tried it when attempting to pull a boat off some rocks in our Harbour.I used diesel.It worked for me..
Cheers
I have tried it when attempting to pull a boat off some rocks in our Harbour.I used diesel.It worked for me..
Cheers
trapezeartist
New member
It's probably quite difficult to get hold of whale oil unless you're Norwegian or Japanese. Whatever other issues there may be, at least it would be reasonably environmental. I hope no-one would try it with an old sumpful of Duckhams :disgust:.
caiman
Member
I think the ethics and availability of whale oil was the reason that the RNLI ceased using it.As far as using Duckhams,'needs must when the devil drives'.As stated above,diesel worked for me.
Cheers
Cheers
Poignard
Well-known member
Even Duckhams is getting hard to find nowadays
aquaplane
Active member
Even Duckhams is getting hard to find nowadays
Hunted virtually to extinction.
Poignard
Well-known member
Seajet
...
There was also the theory of pumping oil out via a sea toilet, though I think the risk of the slippery mess, the quantities required and the environmental considerations make it a non starter these days.
When I was at photo college in 1980 we had to go and photograph the coaster ' Athena B ' which had piled up on Brighton beach in a storm; there were oil cans hanging from her stern - don't know how much effect they had, but all the crew got off safely.
When I was at photo college in 1980 we had to go and photograph the coaster ' Athena B ' which had piled up on Brighton beach in a storm; there were oil cans hanging from her stern - don't know how much effect they had, but all the crew got off safely.
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RAI
Well-known member
Oil on troubled waters. I wonder how far a litre of WD40 would go? (It's fish oil) Would olive oil work and be environmentally forgiveable? I think it's supposed to stop waves up wind of the boat from breaking.
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
I only carry 15/40 do you think that will do the job . I can carry much as I also carry a barrow of tar in case my VHF stop working and I need to signal a May Day
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Well-known member
In theory it will work; in practice it can not work for logistical and practical reasons.
