Oil on water

[PabloPicasso]

Anyone ever tried using oil to calm waves in a storm?

I've read the oil reduces friction and can ease breaking seas deployed from a bag, or saturated pillow, perhaps at a he'd to a sea anchor so the boat sits in its own oil slick

Maybe use. Biodegradable oil?

Anyone know any more, or ever tried it?

 

[prv]

It seemed to be a popular idea until the 50s or 60s, and then died out.

Apparently a heavy fish oil was traditional, which was presumably biodegradable. In modern times, I’ve heard of biodegradable hydraulic oil, for use in machinery where there‘s a risk of leakage and any leaked oil would end up in the sea.

A risk sometimes cited is the oil getting splashed onto the decks and making them slippery to walk on, just what you don’t need in rough conditions.

Personally I wouldn’t bother with it.

Pete

 

[coopec]

The physics of oil on water. (I don't know how much oil would be needed to calm 5M waves!)

How much oil required here?
On 11 March 1861 at midday the lighthouse on Eagle Island,[4] off the west coast of Ireland was struck by a large wave that smashed 23 panes, washing some of the lamps down the stairs and damaging beyond repair the reflectors with broken glass. In order to damage the uppermost portion of the lighthouse, water would have had to surmount a seaside cliff measuring 40 m (133 ft) and a further 26 m (87 ft) of lighthouse structure.

List of rogue waves - Wikipedia

 

[Stemar]

My understanding is that it does nothing to calm the waves, but reduces the likelihood of them breaking. Not sure how many tankers full you'd need to calm a 60m wave though

 

[SAMYL]

This technique was tried by the tanker Pass Of Drumochter whilst trying to save passengers from the sinking Princess Victoria in the North Channel way back in the early 50's.
I cannot remember the details now or whether it was effective or not.

 

[coopec]

This technique was tried by the tanker Pass Of Drumochter whilst trying to save passengers from the sinking Princess Victoria in the North Channel way back in the early 50's.
I cannot remember the details now or whether it was effective or not.

"The Pass of Drumochter then released oil to calm the seas and took the lifeboat in tow until specialist rescue ships would arrive. Only the trawler Eastcotes, riding lower in the water, was able to rescue seven people from the sea with boathooks - to discover that just one of them was alive"

SCOTS - The Loss of the Princess Victoria

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

In theory it will work, however, in practice it could never work as you will need huge volumes of oil, ways to dispose it to the sea and the manpower to do it in rough seas.

 

[Poignard]

It's a very long time since I did my lifeboatman's certificate course for the Merchant Navy but, if I remember correctly, the oil was dispersed from a canvas bag with holes in it.

 

[coopec]

It's a very long time since I did my lifeboatman's certificate course for the Merchant Navy but, if I remember correctly, the oil was dispersed from a canvas bag with holes in it.

That has always been my understanding too.

I don't know much about the science, but I've use oil on the sea in a gale in the north Atlantic when I was ocean-walloping in my little 20 footer,(Many years ago.) You need to be hove-to so that the boat more or less remains in the slick, and its amazing how far a little will go, and it does have a calming effect on breaking seas. Traditionally, one would hang an oil filled canvas bag over the side and prick it a few times with a sail needle so it could leech out. In my case, I dribbled a little down the galley sink where it exited the boat via the skin fitting.
Memory has dulled a little but I recall it as being a very messy operation and of perhaps dubious benefit, in my case at least.
Chris

Oil and heavy seas - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

 

[prv]

Older editions of Heavy Weather Sailing also mention pumping it out through the heads.

Pete

 

[sailaboutvic]

For thos of us who been in heavy seas I can tell you the last thing we thinking of is pumping oil out