Oil on the Water in Stormy Seas - Does it Work ?

[DeepFrz]

If it only takes a few drops to calm the seas, they should be perfectly flat by now, don't you think?

I think the best way to calm the seas is to freeze em...

[solosailormike]

[QUOTE=maxingout;459451]When I first thought about storm managment offshore, I remember stories of people who used oil to quieten stormy breaking seas. They advocated going into the head, pouring oil in the toilet bowl, and slowly pumping the oil outside the boat to create a protective oil slick adjacent to their boat. I had my doubts about whether the technique would be practical or if it would work as advertised.

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Oil on the water goes back hundreds of years. But it is not suitable for modern quick movement vessels. It worked because the ships at the time were heavy rounded hulls with full keels. So lying-a-hull could weather the storms in northern waters. The oil used was whale oil which is light in weight. As the vessel drifted making leeway the oil slick was left behind to the windward side. The vessel is about 50 degrees - so it’s an elevator ride. This left a footprint of less wind born spray. The waves did not change but in northern storms lying-a-hull was an absolute necessary to survive. The bitter cold spray meant you could not see the deck. It’s for the same reason that multihull should never be lying-a-hull. They are too light and not enough draught to carry it off. But because lying-a-hull puts the vessel at perfect angle to wind to become a giant airfoil. [The cabin area]. Almost all reports of multihull flipping are directly because the boat was at an angle to the wind. There is a very good reason why Australia is famous for the cats and tri’s and their engineering and construction have always been ahead of the curve. Remember where Sydney is located. [OK, OK the French circumnavigators did help the issue] The cold northern waters and cruising multihull have never mixed well because of several factors based on surviving storms. But for the week-end warrior and for cruising safe distance in warmer conditions they are perfect. Someone will point and see that a multihull survived, each incident is different. Two special accounts maybe of help. I don’t have the books handy but from memory, check on Eric Hiscock, Wanderer and Wanderer 3. These books came many years before the Pardey books. But the Pardey boats copy the Wanderer. In the early 70’s the theory of bridles became popular. Some used monster parachutes to slow the boat down. Comparatively speaking, it is childs play to weather a storm in tropical waters compared to high latitude freezing cold with near blinding wind. In those days some of those sailors had to have their fingers cut off while still holding on because they frooze solid to the yard. Using oil was the only way to see.

[GordMay]

Mike makes a good point.
Oil won't calm the seas, but may mitigate the spindrift.
This could be very significant in cold Northern waters.

[Pete7]

I thought the oil was to help stop waves from breaking and thereby rushing down onto a vessel. Whilst big waves are scary, the energy in a breaking wave causes the real problems, I think.

Pete

[AnchorageGuy]

Dave, NOAA and a few others have already done some studies on just this scenario and the science determined that relative to the size of these storms, even as large as the area the oil covers, there would be no affect from the oil.

[AnchorageGuy]

Here is a good discussion on this by Dr. Jeff Masters at Weatherunderground,
Wunder Blog : Weather Underground

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by tager

I vote we stop using oil-based fuels.

I assume you neglect to include all plastic and other synthetic products we all use and depend upon in our daily lives including the computer you used to make that comment?

There is more to our petroleum based existence, only a portion of which is used for fuel.

Once you consider everything we use and depend upon, it's hard to imagine humanity ever reverting to fire and loin cloths unless you plan to wait the next 100 years for technology.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Am pretty sure using oil was SOP for the RNLI in the "old days".


Seemed to work..............in 1914!

The RNLI rescue of The Rohilla,1914 at saltwick bay - Whitby


"The Tynemouth Motor Lifeboat, discharged gallons and gallons of oil. This aided the rescue, since,the Mercurey reported, "as the oil spread over the wreck, the waves appeared suddenly to be flattened down as by a miracle all around the vessels bridge, leaving a gentle undulating sea".

[Pete7]

David, I think it was carried on lifeboats even later. Seem to remember looking round a Watson class 52' vessel and being told about the extra oil they carried in tanks for this purpose complete with its own pump ready to discharge overboard.

Pete

[Astrid]

If I remember correctly, a procedure during rescue of persons at sea in life boats was for the rescuing ship to maneuver into a position forming a lee, after which oil would be discharged to calm the seas further so the boats could be hooked up and the passengers brought to the gangway.

[maxingout]

Keep the comments coming. I'm learning a lot from this thread.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

With the water temp 4F higher than average and the propensity for dark oil to draw heat and transfer it to the surrounding water, I doubt there'll be fewer Cat 1 or 2 storms. Considering the amount of oil below the surface, it should be interesting.

So, will the much higher than average water temps (which fuel hurricanes) overcome the "quieting" aspects of the BP spill? And will BP cover these "reasonable costs" of higher damage? Thankfully I live on the Atlantic side.

I live on the west coast capt. It looks like it'll be there soon enough. What do you think Cuba is going to say when it starts hitting their shores.
I have also heard of using oil. I have to think that if sailors still use the technique there's a reason for it. It does sound strange enough to work though.