Shipboard high jinks as a command tool

Did sailors ever try water-skiing behind fast battlecruisers or aircraft carriers?

Yes; stories of water-skiing behind major warships as plausible examples of controlled high jinks that captains could use to sustain morale.

Young officers and sailors did try water-skiing behind carriers and probably battlecruisers. Shipboard morale resembles a pressure cooker: long deployments increase strain, so captains need controlled ways to release it. Activities such as water-skiing, crossing-the-line ceremonies, drinks, and organized parties can build morale while also exercising boat handling and recovery skills. The command problem is to permit harmless high jinks that strengthen the crew while preventing conduct that threatens safety or the chain of command.