Shaun Van Poecke wrote:
Ive read a few accounts, mainly from around 1900, of people using oil to
calm the seas.


Nah, people used oil up through the '60s. In fact one of the eary
trans-Atlantic singlehand racers wrote of asking a freighter to pump
some oil for him in a storm.

In detail, the oil was usually some sort of fish oil, or oil from a seal or
such and was put into a hessian bag or similar filled with rags. The 'oil
bag' was then tied to the vessel and thrown overboard. Ive only ever read
of it being done while hove to.


Sure, because the oil slick is going to blow slowly to leeward. It will
only help if you are in the slick... or better yet, slightly to leeward
of it.


Has anyone ever seen or heard of this being done in modern times? I really
cant understand the logic behind it or see what it would to so calm seas....
any enlightenment welcomed ;-)


THe effect of "calming the seas" isn't so much making waves smaller as
keeping the tops of the waves from forming breakers. Higher surface
tension, lower wind friction, resulting in wave peaks that stay put
instead of rolling. Might not sound like much if you've never been in a
storm with rollers, but it does make a big difference.

Personally I would not like cleaning the oil off the boat afterwards,
but I guess that beats the alternative.

-signed- Injun Ear (formerly known as Eagle Eye)