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Each week we will try to publish a new video. Due to cellular coverage, power and other limitations sometimes this may not be possible. These videos are made to share our adventure with friends and supporters however they do take considerable time to shoot and edit as well as gear and data costs so if you would like to help with support in the continued production please visit our Patreon page for less that the price of a coffee..!

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As we expected during our Winter stay in Turkey, there would be storms. We are currently  sailing our way South to see as much of the coast as possible. Stopping at a place called Kakova Road we have found a bay to anchor tight for the next 3 days due to a nasty frontal system making its way around the area.  Rain, Thunder storms and winds to 35knts (65km/h) .  Life on board can be quite uncomfortable in these conditions with rolling swells rocking the yacht side to side causing endless bangs and crashes of lines and equipment being thrown about not to mention the howling sounds the rigging makes in even moderate winds.  
WE make do with games, music and family time until the weather clears for sailing again.
Be sure to check back here for location and track updates https://freedomfamily.nz/locations/where-are-we-now/
This episode we escape Fethiye again for St Nicolas island (named after the original Saint Nicolas – Santa) to spend Christmas with our sailing buddies which ends abruptly with the forecast of higher winds and rain. We leave hastily to be met head on with a large cold front complete with strong winds, torrential rain, thunder and lightning on the passage over to Boynuzbuku.
The strangest feeling for the Kiwi parts of the family.. being in the middle of a cold Winter.. and its Christmas time.. only, you wouldn’t know it as Turkey is Muslim .. no Christmas here!… However its not all bad , no crazy crazy commercialisation of Christmas and retail overload. We are heading off soon for Gemiler Island – where the ORIGINAL Santa ( St Nicolas) was buried . So a very very fitting location to spend our Chistmas time. We will be joined by fellow Aussie cruisers for a progressive Christmas dinner and hopefully Christmas breakfast with pancakes atop of the island as the sun comes up. In this weeks episode I take some time out to consider how the people in the town of Fethiye make do through the off-season. .. made worse by Covid-19 which is getting worse here in Turkey.
Like Ground Hog Day, we are once again confined to quarters. Locked down on Polly. It was horrible weather so didnt mind being hunkered down. It was a good opportunity to get into some warm hearty home cooking and test our new diesel heater after a brisk walk up behind the town to where some royal Tombs were carved into the cliffs.
Some people think we are on a big lavish holiday, cruising the sunny Med with not a care in the world. This week we give you a peek into what its REALLY like to live on a yacht. From the limitations of getting fresh water and a power supply, to doing chores like washing and cooking, taking Lucy ashore and getting groceries and gas bottle refills.
Heading back towards Fethiye from Bodrum, Turkey, we stopped off at Turtle beach, a location famed for the nested ground of 3 species of Sea Turtles. Two of which migrate to the area from the Gulf of Mexico. The season is the 1st of May through till the 1st of October so we were allowed to visit the beach where they nested. A little apprehensively we made our way 7km up the Daylan River through the marsh to the Caunos Tombs of the Kings. This was a restricted area where only commercial operators were allowed.. we were waved and smiled at along the way so obviously no threat to business.
After our over night passage we take a look around Bodrum, repair some more bits on our yacht, then sail around the corner to Gümüşlük where we spend a few night sheltering on a noisy anchorage from the wind.
With prospects of longer passages ahead with inexperienced family as crew, we decided to sail a 35 hour , 200km (110nm) passage up to Bodrum. With Winter rapidly approaching this was also an opportunity to see a little more of Northern Turkey.
Still cruising around Fethiye we visit some nearby areas and bays, do some more rubbish collection and check out a beautiful little cover with a cave either side and incredible rock formations.
In this episode we continue to explore the incredible ruins on Gemiler Island including a hidden cave. Luca and Nina are taken for a crazy “donut ride” behind a power-boat and the stars align when we all decide to go tandem paragliding off a 6500′ mountain above our anchorage.. yes Silke & Nina too. Nothing but beautiful smiles in this video!
This week we join our A.N.Z.A.Cruisers (Australia, New Zealand & American Cruisers) group in renting a bus for the day to explore inland a little we see Massive caves, Canyons and ancient castle ruins.
Spending time in Gocek and Fithiye we finish FINALLY our power system and explore the local markets, Hunt down a sunken Pirate ship then repair our broken outboard motor
While anchored in “22 Fathom Bay” we discover the best bread baker in Turkey. Working with two wood fired ovens, 7 days a week, the best Ciabatta style loaves are baked . We spent the morning following the process then climbed into the hills in search of ancient Tombs
In this episode we hunt down the venomous and invasive Lion Fish and go in search of the ancient ruins said to be used by Cleopatra as her bathing pools.
An afternoon swim turns into a nightmare when Nina cuts her foot open on some broken glass and is rushed via dinghy to hospital 2NM away…. We also tackle more yacht work and get our final Solar solution installed.
This episode sees Luca ascend Polly’s 60 foot mast to inspect the anchor light. We suspected that it was an incandescent bulb which consumes alot of power however it turned out to be a warm coloured LED. We travel up the waterways in Marmaris to get yacht parts and supplies then back to Polly for more yacht work. Our Bavaria door latches keep breaking so there’s a regular repair and we check that our diesel tank level is as it shows in the fuel gauge. Taking Lucy for a walk on the beach at our anchorage we find that its covered in rubbish and plastic so along with some other cruisers we collect 7 bags and feel happy to leave it looking clean.
We all explore the amazing ruins at Knidos and Bozburum and take a dinghy ride up a creek to a cafe which serves $3NZD English Breakfasts. A real treat for us all
Still having issues with our solar and electrical system we make our way to the larger Turkish port of Marmaris where we meet new cruising friends who help out and we get to swim with beautiful sea turtles.
We begin to really start exploring Turkey and climb up a hill with an ancient fort where we take in the views and have breakfast..
We settle in to beautiful Turkey and take a moment to catch our breath and slow down. The reality of yacht life kicks in with a list of breakages and maintenance to attend to. Followed by swimming in crystal clear water and walks.
An amazing feeling this week as we hop the last two Greek islands before crossing the border to Turkey and are relieved of our visa woes. Check out at Kos sees us leave without fines. We meet our inspiring YouTube heros Brittni & Ryan from SV Sunday ( www.svsunday.com ) before they leave for Malta.
Sheltering from the dreaded Meltemi … again, we rent a car and go exploring the Love Island of Amorgos. Climb 300 steps to the cliff side monastery of Chozoviotissa and get joined by a Greek warship… heading to…. TURKEY!
The weather treats us to a nice run to Schoinousa Island where we anchor in the stunning bay with crystal clear water and a fleet of luxury vessels . Silke gets tuned into SUP riding , we try to find Prickly Cactus juice and catch up on boat chores.
This episode we catch our breath in Kythnos and hide from the Meltemi wind then move on to Serifos and Paros all while chasing the clock to get to Turkey before Tim gets his visa blacklisted. We go exploring the beautiful coastline and ancient Greek Chora in the hills.
Aigina to Poros, then Hydra and a hell sail in Meltemi wind to Kythnos. We are on a mad dash to Turkey to try to avoid heavy fines due to Tim’s expired visa. Dragging our heals we want to soak up as much of Greece as we go but the dreaded Meltemi winds are slowing progress as we are holed up in sheltered anchorages waiting for the winds to die down.
After a trip to Piraeus to finalise the customs paperwork and get our transit log we finish a few urgent yacht jobs, cook up a storm, take off the Charter Company stickers and add our own then leave the marina for the last time and for good. We have a beautiful first sail to Aigina. Never been happier!
As Ground Hog Day comes to an end (we hope), we scurry about getting last jobs done, do some provisioning, check out the Acropolis (all to ourselves!) and have another “shake-down” sail. Paper work nearly done .. last formalities in the next few days! Adventure videos to come!
In this episode we get some crew and driving lessons and take a tour of the marina. We are interviewed on Greek TV, take a look inside a NZ$1,000,000 yacht and FINALLY get to go sailing.. albeit a short one sadly having to return to the marina.. STILL waiting for paperwork and of course still no visa.
The marina is now unlocked. We are free to sail.. or are we? Its been 5 months now since we started the purchase process to buy our yacht and with Covid 19 added to the mix its been a long time coming. We hope to get final paper work released from Greek officials this week and with any luck the original copy of our New Zealand ship registration certificate will arrive at the same time. Yacht work is nearly finished with water maker, water tank repairs and replacing the tatty worn leather covers of our steering wheels with whipping which after quite some effect looks and feels amazing!
Another week of Greek lock-down at the Alimos Marina, and the bushy mops on the boys heads can wait for scissors no longer!.. We rent a car to go shopping and try to get a visa extension for Tim.. The Offices are still closed! So.. we take the car sight seeing and visit the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon.
Week six (or so..) or the Great Greek Lock-down. Days roll into each other separated by meals and walks and yacht work.. and of course walks, cuddles and entertainment with Lucy. Some people wondered and coughed at just why would we go to the great trouble and huge expense to bring our dog sailing with us?.. well, even though her air-fares cost more than ours all together , she has already well earned her keep in helping keep up moral during these frustrating times in Greece. As you will see on this video she is deeply embedded in our family and a member we simply couldn’t be without! This week we also test the new generator and Tim cooks up a storm in the galley!
Life goes on here in Athens, stuck, Locked-down on the marina. We have met some wonderful new friends just 1 pier away who are giving the kids art classes. Nina finds a baby turtle on one of our walks.Tim shares a tip on cheap environmentally friendly shaving and theres another free lesson Yoga Lesson with Silke uploaded exclusively for your Patreons
This week we endure strong Northerlies at the marina, bringing pollen and red dust from the Sahara which coats the yacht. We send Luca up the mast of a neighbor to replace a mast light . Tim shows what gear we have onboard that we use to shoot and produce our videos and Silke begins her weekly Yoga Classes. With all the lockdowns happening things like Yoga studios have been closed also. Silke is a qualified Yoga teacher so will be running a Youtube class eash week from Polly (or where ever her yoga mat lays.)
With all the lockdowns happening things like Yoga studios have been closed also. Silke is a qualified Yoga teacher so will be running a Youtube class eash week from Polly (or where ever her yoga mat lays.). These will be available through our patreon channel at a cost of just US$2/ session. These are of course free for our existing Patreons as a bonus. Yoga subscribers will also have access to our weekly Yacht Life videos also. —————————————————————————————————————– Subscribe now at www.patreon.com/freedomfamily (cancel at any time)
A wee insight as to how we can still make Barista quality Espresso coffee on board Polly during the lockdown
This week we are still locked down in Greece at the marina with two weeks still to go. A bit like ground hog day we try to stay busy with chores like washing and cleaning. Its both Tim & Silkes birthdays.. so we celebrate and take you on a guided tour of Polly. A Honda generator makes it to us via courier while our watermaker is still in limbo.. somewhere in transit?
This is week one of our 4 week isolation period at the Alimos Marina in Greece. The Corona virus is under control here with authorities taking stern measures to protect its citizens. So we busy ourselves with domestic chores, walks, yacht work and … eating…. Data is very expensive here in Greece and we thank our patreons for your help in funding the creation of these videos and their upload.
Unbelievably we all make it to Greece as the border gates slam shut behind us.. very stressful and emotional times for us all.
This week Tim makes it back to Greece to prepare Polly for the family’s arrival two weeks later. A large list of boat work to work through but what wasnt in the plan was the Corona Virus shut down. This meant delays in work and the very scary possibility that Silke, Nina, Luca and Lucy may not be allowed to travel to Greece!
This week we see how well Polly flies!.. during her land and sea survey.. passed with flying colours.
If you wonder why on earth we decided to take Lucy our Foxie, then take a look at just how much we mean to her ( and her to us) as she greets Tim after being away for two weeks. She was beside herself.
Tim is in Greece to buy the new family home with sails. Christmas and New Year sees alot of holidays in Athens so things take time to get sorted.
Its Official ! Theres no turning back.. here’s what we are are doing!
Level 3 Skippers Course . Auckland
Crazy camera angles with the Insta360

Season ZERO, season One is yet to begin!

Level TWO Skippers Course Auckland – Kawau Island , New Zealand
Delivery of brother Paul’s Yacht Rory Mhor. Opua, Bay of Islands to Auckland.