Older, Wiser and Again Facing Open Ocean

March 6, 2009— -- Having transited the Panama Canal and fresh off Carnaval, adventurers Neville and Catherine Hockley are venturing across the Pacific on their sailboat Dream Time.

But this time is nothing like the last time Neville Hockley left land behind and ventured into the open water to cross an ocean.

View photos of Dream Time's trip and join ABC News in tracking Dream Time's travels.

Read the latest excerpts from the Hockleys' adventure below and visit the boat's Web site to learn more about their journey.

Neville Hockley writes: In the next week, Catherine and I will launch ourselves into the Pacific to begin a journey that will take us away from the Americas and across to the other side of the world -- a fact that I'm only now beginning to truly appreciate.

We're currently anchored in Las Perlas, a small cluster of about a hundred islands just 40 miles away from Panama City. It feels a little like we're cautiously inching our way closer to the edge of a great abyss and steeling ourselves to jump. While I'm confident that we've done absolutely everything we can to ensure our Pacific crossing will be a safe, enjoyable and hopefully rewarding experience, the sheer magnitude of what's ahead is sobering -- thousands upon thousands of miles of open ocean, passages that will require 15, 20, 30 days of sailing, no "safe harbors" to seek refuge in, no BoatUS or SeaTow to offer assistance and no turning back.

It's been 15 years since my last ocean crossing (the Indian Ocean). I was 24 and had none of the responsibility I have now. Confident, a little arrogant, but mostly blissfully ignorant of the realities of such a passage, I dove in headfirst with little to no regard for the potential dangers. Ultimately, I had the adventure of a lifetime at an age when consequence and risk didn't even factor in to the equation, only the raw thrill and excitement of a life-changing voyage that began in 1994 and in many ways I'm still navigating to this day.

There are few comparisons between my last adventure and this one. Age, experience and responsibility have perhaps softened a little of the reckless, free-spirited adventurism I felt before, but I know that sailing with Catherine on this voyage, sharing the experiences with the woman I love, will make for a far more fulfilling journey.

Neville Hockley wrote:Dream Time's cabin floor is covered in confetti. Colorful little paper circles that we unintentionally brought back from Carnaval last night in our hair and pockets are sticking to everything. Within minutes of arriving at Carnaval in Panama City yesterday we were sprayed with water pistols, then had handfuls of confetti hurled at us. We instantly contracted Carnaval fever and with dots stuck to our faces armed ourselves with 25-cent bags of "annunciation" and went to seek retribution. It wasn't pretty. After clouds of paper filled the air around us amid squeals of delight from Panamanian children, and caught in the crossfire of water jets, we were quickly and soundly defeated. While Catherine, Nick and myself tried to hold our ground, we were, after all, amateurs, and the locals made great sport of us.