Search And Rescue. 3- Supplying, a photo from Acores, Islands

Photographer's Note

This image is not as dramatic as the previous post, and it may even look rather idyllic and calm. But the situation was indeed dramatic. Please notice the overcast sky; this was during an interval of stormy weather, and the ship is sheltered at Santa Cruz, Flores Island, in the westernmost and the most isolated group of Azores Islands.
The Portuguese Navy provides the SAR service (Search And Rescue; see my posts of this theme, NRP Afonso Cerqueira) and it helps the local populations when needed.
In the late 1980s, when I served in this ship, some islands in the Azores didn't have good ports and airfields (I'm not sure nowadays), especially the outer islands of the archipelago, Flores and Corvo. During long periods of stormy weather, for days or even for weeks, no airplane could land on those islands and the merchant ships didn't risk to challenge the storms and the long way between the central islands and the western group. So, when the merchant ships could not go, the Navy ship had to go, regardless of the weather and sea conditions.
Like in the day of this shot, the corvette supplied the local population with fuel (see workshop) and some food items (I even remember boxes of eggs being transferred from the warship to the local little boat), that were needed after days of isolation.
For a complete view of the corvette: Click here.
Location of Santa Cruz das Flores in WikiMapia: 39.4551493, -31.1277437. [Scanned from paper print.]

lucasgalodoido, lcarolan, cfreire, Docarmo, riclopes, Amaz has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2007-11-01 14:01

Ol� Francisco!
Uma foto muito bonita e com boa qualidade apesar de ser escaneada, s� n緌 entendi o porque de estar pequena (640x480), acho que ela tem qualidade suficiente pra estar em 800x600, e mesmo esse tamanho m嫞imo aceito pelo site eu j� acho pequeno tamb幦, eles poderiam aumentar pra 1024 n�!
Parab幯s e Abra蔞!

[2] +

stego (24132) 2007-11-01 15:36

Ol� Francisco,
A qualidade da digitaliza誽o desta parece-me excepcional. E ainda bem, pois a foto bem que a merece. A compo est� excelente tnato graficamente como em termos de cores (cinzento da corveta, azul do mar e do c徼, vermelho do barquito e castanhos e verdes da terra).
Um abra蔞, Jos�.

Bluejeans (64251) 2007-11-03 1:56

Oi amigo ,
Esta tua foto est� muito boa , de cores , os reflexos do barco na agua ficaram muito bonitos , gostei dos cinzentos do navio , tem uma empresa c� em Portugal que so faz tintas para pintar este tipo de navios e vende muito para a armada dos Estados Unidos n緌 sei se os nosso navios s緌 pintados com a tintas deles .
Um abra蔞 Gon蓷lo
Bom fim de semana

[2] +

lcarolan (930) 2007-11-04 16:37

Xuaxo,
I like this shot because of the reflections in the water and the glossy paint on the Corvette. U.S. ships are painted flat colors. Perhaps it is the wetness that gives the impression of glossy paint.

Your note about Search And Rescue brings back memories of my U.S. Coast Guard service. Our motto was, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back." We recently watched a VCR movie titled "The Guardian", about Coast Guard rescue swimmers in Alaskan SAR Operations. You might enjoy it. I am sure you must have seen some of the videos done about the USCG surf boats that operate on the rivermouth bars here in Oregon, that roll 360 degrees in breaking waves, with the crew in safety belts, and keep on going.
TFS. Larry

cfreire (11741) 2007-11-13 7:14

Oi, Francisco
bonita composi誽o, com o pequeno barco ao lado do navio, com cores e reflexos bem apresentados, e a outra parte da foto, com a montanha, ao fundo, quebrando a continuidade do mar. Bom trabalho, um abra蔞, Consuelo

Docarmo (9767) 2007-11-17 21:05

Ol� Francisco,
Esta foto est� linda! Uma composi誽o primorosa, com excelente profundidade e nitidez.
Ando sem tempo, sem poder apreciar mais as imagens, como gostaria.
Mas vou arranjando um tempinho para ver estas preciosidades.
Obrigada por partilhar,
MC

riclopes (35577) 2007-12-05 0:52

Muito boa tamb幦, Francisco. Belo efeito de profundidade e bonita vista da ilha das Flores, que eu gostava de visitar um dia, pois o facto de ser remota, atrai-me imenso. Deve ter sido uma experi瘽cia muito interessante, esta que tiveste. Gosto daquela cruz no barco a apontar para a capela(?) l� ao fundo.
Bom dia para ti,
ricardo

Amaz (11475) 2009-05-16 23:53

Boa composi誽o e bom enquadramento!!!
Parab幯s, Francisco!!

Abra蔞!