Howdy folks, this is Cowboy Sailor Jim. It is an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to write our daily blog from the half way point in our trip from Bermuda to Horta, Faial (Azores). The last author has been fired for reasons unknown. As you know we marked the middle of our trip with a Message in a Bottle, a significant moment for us. So let me begin with the overnight watch on day 6, Monday, May 26, 2008. Our watch schedule is based on four on four off. Two hours on Standby which means you're out of your bunk, lounging in the main salon, reading or writing but always ready if needed. Two hours on Watch; you're responsible for the ship, on the bridge, always with life jacket and safety harness on, scanning the horizon, running the engines as needed to recharge the batteries and making log entries. Four hours off; usually in your bunk, off duty. The watches start at dark each day and continue until daylight.

Last night was a pleasure because it was clear, there were stars and a brilliant moon, was real enjoyment because we hadn't seen clear skies for days. I saw a shooting star and I swear a bat! But I don't see how that's possible our here, maybe a "Bob" hallucination?? Also saw a freighter, always exciting when you see a ship at sea, which is so amazingly huge and empty most of the time. Steve said he saw a "Fireball" last night, an exploding meteor, very cool. We all seem to have adjusted to our sleep schedule. I for one no longer struggle to stay awake overnight, probably be up, in foulies and safety harness sitting in the back yard at 3am when I get home. It was quite humid last night, you always felt wet but we were under clear skies?

Daylight comes and it's another sunny day, winds are a little lighter but we're still just flying along at 7-8kts. We've been doing those speeds for 6 days! We have 810 miles to go. The sea is still choppy, less than previous days, less of the Windancer Shuffle going on. That's when you kind'a hop on one foot sideways when the boat lurches, oh yea, cooking is a balancing act.

Coffee and breakfast, we saw a flying bug, first bug since starting, maybe a sign of our need for doing the wash?? it's all good and we're into another day at sea. We're settled now, used to the Windancer shuffle, the damp, the motion of the ocean, the big blue sea, the waves, the sky in it's many colors and formations, again it's all good.

It's turning out to be an amazing morning. It's only noon and so far we've seen 3 sea turtles, one old sailor with barnacles on his back, I saw "Wilson" float by while doing my laundry in a bucket, yep Tom Hanks lost him at sea and there he was, just bobbi'n along. We had a close encounter with a freighter, talked to them, thanked them for maneuvering out of our path. But, without a doubt my most exciting moment was when I saw a whale blow off the starboard bow. Unfortunately I was the only one to see this and will no doubt take grief for another "Bob Hallucination". The day went on with one sighting after another. A wooden plank with several fish under it, a fishing bouy, right in our path, we picked it up with the boat hook, another freighter, farther away and they wouldn't answer our VHF calls. Finally, toward late afternoon a huge tanker came up from behind, it was 1,100 feet of steel and close on our starboard side, maybe a quarter mile. We talked to them, bound for Egypt, very pleasant, wished us good luck and safety on our voyage. It just doesn't get better than this folks, just another day at sea.

Let's end this first excerpt of the second half of the voyage to the Azores with some overnight thoughts; Day 7, Tuesday, May 27, 2008. We went into the night with fine conditions. Not enough wind to sail so we motored, sails down. Stars, oh were there stars, in numbers uncountable. The sea was black as ink, the horizon was almost indistinguishable. The night watch is a unique experience, very personal and private up there on the bridge. Headphones on, each track is reacted to in a more intense way, you just listen more intensely, your thoughts are free, open, less encumbered with normal terrestrial influences, it's a good thing. Last night the phosphorescence in the water was fantastic. In my limited experience this phenomenon appears when the water is agitated by props, breaking waves or the like. Last night the water was just sparkling with water born "lightning bugs", flashing their colors at random, no agitation needed. The flashes were about 1 foot apart all around the boat. We were motoring through a sparkling sea, was very cool. Does this happen into the depths or just on the surface? Imagine the light show for sea creatures. It lasted about an hour like that then slowly ended. The ocean is an amazing life force of itself, filled with every kind of mystery and adventure. Life is good folks, wish you were here.