As you may know, I got the opportunity to go aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) as the ship went through pre-deployment training in September 2015.
One of the fun and exotic things I got to witness was a Replenishment At Sea, wherein the USNS Kanawha pulled up alongside, sent over hoses, and pumped fuel for the HST's aircraft.
I was given a float coat and cranial, and was allowed into Fuel Station 13, where I photographed the sailors working the lines between the ships to bring over the hoses. I also watched the ABF sailors (the Aviation Boatswains Mates - Fuels), a.k.a. "Grapes," test the fuel's clarity and color in a sort of "proof test" in a glass jar, before beginning the fuel transfer...
All the while, the sea is rushing by only a few feet below and between the ships as they maintain their close parallel track. It's something you just don't see every day.
Here is a painting based on that, called, "Refuel At Sea: Quality Check" (subtitle, "Proof Test").
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