Using oil to calm the sea

An oil bag used to be a common safety device aboard boats up to perhaps the 70s or so. For example the Icelandic coast guard used it, and a Faroes whaler confirms:

“Brendan was given a berth in the Coast Guard base; from Coast Guard stores we were provided with a better anchor, extra warps, a spare car battery for the radio, and an oil bag to spread oil on the water in a storm. “You can never tell; it may come in handy,” said Commander Berend Sveinsson, the Coast Guard officer looking after Brendan’s needs. “Our lifeboats used to carry this type of oil bag, and maybe it will help in a storm.” When I took the oil bag back to Brendan, Trondur nodded approvingly. “This is good,” he announced. “Oil from fish is needed, but best is whale oil.” Twenty-four hours later he turned up with a jerry can of whale oil scrounged from the whale station outside town. It was fortunate he did so. That oil bag was to assist Brendan when she was struggling against the Greenland storms.”

Excerpt from: Tim Severin. “The Brendan Voyage.”

It works because the oil forms a film with a much higher surface tension floating on top of the water, so wavelets cannot form (just try blowing with your mouth over a spoon full of olive oil versus a spoon full of water).
 
Sandy said:
Quite sure that if any vessel did that these days there would be a substantial fine and rightly so.
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The proper oil (according to old books I've read) is some kind of fish oil, which I assume is biodegradable.

Part of the reason I think it fell out of use is that you end up with oily, slippery decks, which is just what you don't want in heavy weather.

Pete
 
Great demo. I like the cylindrical spoon which demostrates the American's capacity for simplification which has been one of their strenghs for many years.
I was told about this phenomenon years ago ( first in Bible class then in 1970's sailing school) but ruled it out because I thought the smell would make me sick. On reflection if I now need to calm the seas I would reach down to my spare engine oil containeer , tie it on a line and onto the upwind rail, stab it with my trusty Gerber and lob it upwind. This may just me enough to help me get someone back on board or onto a liferaft. If an environmental nut was on board I would tell em its olive oil so they did not feel conflicted.
 
The Brendan voyage was about 40 odd years ago, so I think it would have been quite possible to procure whale oil in the Faeroes at the time.

Joshua Slocum also talks of pouring oil on water in Voyage of the Liberdade. Mainly complaining that the ship towing the Liberdade was covering them in the bloody stuff.

Also, as an environmental consultant pointed out to me once, everything biodegrades, given enough time...
 
A small tanker, the Pass of Dramochter (sp?), pumped oil on the water when the Princess Victoria was sinking about 1953 off N. Ireland and this helped calm the waters considerably enabling more people to be rescued.
 
SAMYL said:
A small tanker, the Pass of Dramochter (sp?), pumped oil on the water when the Princess Victoria was sinking about 1953 off N. Ireland and this helped calm the waters considerably enabling more people to be rescued.
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More probably Pass of Drumochter, the highest point on the A9 between Perth and Inverness. (Funny name for a boat, when you think about it ...)
 
alan_d said:
More probably Pass of Drumochter, the highest point on the A9 between Perth and Inverness. (Funny name for a boat, when you think about it ...)
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I remember being involved many years ago, in a search for a missing diver, along with, among others, the "Pass of Killiecrankie". Probably a sister ship
 
Foolish Muse said:
This video shows how a tiny amount of oil can calm waves: http://www.chonday.com/Videos/cralaexperoil4

Does anyone have experience with this in an ocean setting? I've heard of ships pouring oil on the sea to perform rescues, but has anyone actually seen it? Does it work on large waves?
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There was a US university demo recently, which showed the calming effect of a teaspoon of olive oil poured onto the waves in a lake. Amazingly effective. I have always considered this when ocean crossing, dumping some olive oil via the heads, rather than risk leaning overboard.
 
prv said:
The proper oil (according to old books I've read) is some kind of fish oil, which I assume is biodegradable.

Part of the reason I think it fell out of use is that you end up with oily, slippery decks, which is just what you don't want in heavy weather.

Pete
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People would pump it out through the heads.
 
With regard to the glass reflection part. Would it work on a camera screen? I get terrible reflection on mine and cannot use it on sunny days,all i see is my own reflection. anyone tried olive oil on the screen?
 
explores said:
With regard to the glass reflection part. Would it work on a camera screen? I get terrible reflection on mine and cannot use it on sunny days,all i see is my own reflection. anyone tried olive oil on the screen?
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You can get stick on anti-glare screen protectors for that - rather less messy. Lots on amazon cut to fit any brand of camera but check the reviews. Some are much better than others.
 
Wave subduer oil tanks and spray pump fitted as standard on RNLI Lifeboats up to and including the Rother class(circa 1980's).None fitted to Mersey class Lifeboats(1990 ish onwards).I never used it in anger,but the system was tested often.Never had to refill the tank myself,but strongly believe that 'whale oil' was used.
Hope this is of help.
Cheers
 
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