Storm oil

[1][2] It has been historically employed to facilitate sea rescues and improve navigational safety, involving pouring the oil onto the ocean surface to reduce wave intensity.

[6][7] The United States Maritime Service Training Manual included storm oil in the list of general equipment aboard lifeboats,[8] while the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict.

[6] Oil has a damping effect on water and quickly forms a thin layer over a large expanse of the surface, which absorbs some of the energy of the waves.

[11] Benjamin Franklin famously investigated oil's calming properties on waves during his visits to England in 1757 to negotiate on taxation issues,[1] demonstrating the effect on lakes such as Derwentwater.

[15] Pockels also suggested that the calming effect of oil on water involved more than just reduced surface tension, including additional viscous resistance.