From Sample's web page    http://www.geocities.com/glsmoyer58/

Here's a great description of the Un Rep operation.
from 9-22-01
Regarding the UNREP [underway replenishment] I was on the USS Kawishiwi AO146 [viet nam] . The first line shot over is with a  12 gauge shotgun with a nylon line tied to a plastic bottle, the bottle fits sorta tight over the barrel, and there is no shot in the shell, like a blank. That line is tied to a larger line, till you get up to the steel cable that supports the oil or fuel line.  ON the  booms of the tanker are weights tuned for the size of the hose, to automatically take up and let out the slack from the ROLL of  the ship. So the tension allows for the two ships rolling apart and together. This way the line/hoses dont break.

Your photo of "heavy seas" isnt much as we refueled DD's where the front half of it would go COMPLETELY unwater and the  crew on the DD was on lifelines to the flying bridge. When a wave would come over they would hang on and go underwater for  15 sec or so. I have movie footage of seeing daylight under the middle, the DD supported on both ends by a waves. We had a 33  ft draft and was rather stable. The DD was really being tossed about as its draft was but oh 14-17 feet and that surface water was  ROUGH!

On another mission we hit the plane elevator on some flattop as it was in the down position. When two ship get too close  together the water sucks them together.  We did ALL UNREP's without a computer, just skill.  Off Nam the Russians would try and   make us alter course while refueling. We got a great laugh of a russian "fishing ship" with more antenna than you thought  possible....we put about a 3 foot wave across the main deck!! Missed by 20-30 feet!!  The Viet Nam fishing people would try and  get hit by crossing in front of us. We would steam straight. We did hit one and did a man overboard drill, tossing the guy the  lifering and such.

Any time there was a 'copter around, like refueling a cruiser or any ship with one, the copter would go 1/2 mile aft to pickup  anyone accidently tossed or fallen over. We had one guy break his leg when he hit the water and was fished up by a 'copter. Its  risky business.

We had a personnel transfer with a heilo and we were in moderate seas. Well the Sea Knight pilot got over the bow and then  shifted to moving up and down with the rythmn of the ship. Those guys are GOOD. The rise and fall of the deck at the bow was  about 25 feet he would just follow it up and down.

We would refuel DD's every 3-5 days, keeping them at no less than 87% full so they could steam a 1000 miles at a minutes notice.  Course crossing the date line was always done on a week day so we would work an extra day. Never an extra sunday!! Couldnt  have two days off in a row!! We carried mostly 10 million gal of JP5 and refueled carriers in the Tonkin gulf from Subic  hope that helps some. If you post this please give me a by line.

IC2 Don Wagler in Porland, OR
CFII