[QUOTE=yacht_sailor;131429]A giant version of a Lifesling would work. You get a LONG floating line with a float on the end. Do a “water-skier pickup” maneuver and it drags the floating line right to the boat. Difficulty with using a tanker instead of a Ski Nautique is unknown by me so YMMV.[/QUOTE]
Not practical. The ship has a turning radius of about a mile. so you would need about 3 miles of line.
Better to float a line down wind (from either vessel) for the other one to pick up. This is why the line throwing guns are mentioned. The greatly speed up the ‘float time’ between vessels.