Like a mariner once seeking safe harbour, today’s ship managers are searching for environmentally friendly lubricants that match the overall performance of traditional lubricants. Following the introduction of mandatory use of so-called Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) in specific applications on vessels, several lubricant products came onto the market which, although they met the legal requirements, did not achieve the traditional level of performance. The tribologists at Klüber Lubrication have now developed a technology for producing long lasting synthetic oil based lubricants leading to a new generation of EALs that meet both excellent performance and environmental sustainability targets.