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After delivering fuel and food supplies in Flores Island (my previous post), the Portuguese Navy corvette NRP Afonso Cerqueira moved to nearby Corvo Island to support also the local population. Corvo ("crow") is the smallest and most isolated of Azores Islands.
I was serving in this corvette in Azores in the winter 1987-88. During long periods of stormy weather, for days or even for weeks, no airplane could land on Flores or Corvo, and the merchant ships didn't risk to challenge the storms and the long way between the central islands and this western group.
Some youngsters from Flores and Corvo were studying in the central islands or in São Miguel Island, and have spent the Christmas holidays at home. In early January the storms didn't allow commercial connections between the western and the central islands. So, the students had no means to return to the schools in January.
Again, when the merchant ships could not go, the Navy ship had to go, regardless of the weather and sea conditions. It was the case here, and therefore the SAR (Search And Rescue) warship had to transport students back to school.
In this poor quality shot you see a moment when people move from the small local boats to the corvette, anchored offshore Corvo town.
For a complete view of the corvette: Click here. [Scanned from paper print.]