Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for collecting oil or similar substances from the water surface. The apparatus comprises a floating rope being held in a loop shape and adopted to collect oil contaminated therewith. The apparatus is conventionally provided with a cleaning device removing oil from the rope and with means for pulling the rope past said cleaning device. In order to improve collection capacity of the rope, the invention provides means connected to the rope for rotating the same around the longitudinal axis thereof. Said means can be positioned e.g. at the end of one of two booms or similar holding the rope in the loop shape. The cleaning device may be positioned in the middle so that two loops are formed, one on each side of the cleaning device, and the pulling means may then be adopted to pull the rope alternatingly in opposite directions through the cleaning device.