March 2026  Ti-Gitu

By Mo Fay-Jenkins

When Paul and I decided to build a yacht together, there were many factors we considered including the fact that we were not growing any younger, therefore Ti-Gitu had to be designed to be the ultimate in easy sailing and comfortable living.

Ti-Gitu is one of Paul's designs, a steel Fay 40. She has a radius chine hull with twin keels and a large skeg forward of the rudder. This allows for a draught of only 4ft 8inches and enables us to visit shallow anchorages and be dried out on any convenient beach for routine maintenance. The keels are shaped to give the best resistance to leeway and least resistance down wind, they carry ballast in the forward part and 60 gallons of diesel in each rear section. The shaped skeg is also used to carry 30 gallons of diesel. The transom hung rudder has a trim tab for wind vane self steering and on long passages can be disconnected from the wheel steering to reduce wear on the system. An electronic Autohelm is also fitted. A 'Junk' rig was chosen as this type of sail is incredibly easy to handle.

A KISS wind generator is permanently mounted on a pole at the stern and a small  petrol generator mounted on the deck. Ti-Gitu has a 54hp Ford diesel engine. Carrying 150 UK gallons there is enough fuel for 1000 miles so long as the speed is kept to around 4.5 knots.

We now have steel masts from Fabrikat with aluminium yards and timber booms. We made our cambered panel sails ourselves using seven ounce UV resisting Terylene. Each sail is 500 square feet and relatively heavy so a Lewmar electric winch, with manual back up, is used to hoist them.                    Fun race in Falmouth

As you enter Ti-Gitu from the cockpit you stand on the top of the engine compartment to port is the chart table and radio area, with all round visibility.  Our GPS navigation is linked to the computer chart plotter. (We also carry worldwide paper charts)  Ti Gitu has both main and portable VHF radios and a short wave radio for long distance communication.

We carry 1,000 litres of water and use Propane gas for cooking and hot water. We have a large galley and saloon, two heads one with a full size shower. A generous forward berth and a guest aft cabin. For heating we have a Dickinson diesel heater. This along with the thick insulation keeps Ti-Gitu really warm in cold climates.

We are very pleased with Ti-Gitu, she has proved to be a fast, very comfortable yacht and easy to handle at sea. Manoeuvring in confined places with a lot of wind can be interesting as with a mast so far forward the bow blows around more than is usual, a bow thruster would cure this but as we try not to use marinas much we won't fit one for now.

We carry four anchors with a hundred metres of 10mm anchor chain, two lengths of 20mm octoplait anchor rope and use a Vetus electric anchor winch.

We have an extremely stable Zodiac 4 person rigid/inflatable tender with outboard motor that is carried on the deck. It is launched and recovered using the forward halyard.

We have been living aboard for 25 years now and we have sailed many thousands of miles since we left our home port of Bideford, including voyages around the UK, France, Belgium, Holland. Then off South round Biscay, Spain and Portugal to the Mediterranean. Across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Azores.

Although Ti Gitu appears extraordinary, everything has been tried and proved before. The hull is a proven Fay design and the twin keels have been used in British designed yachts for many years. Paul simply researched to find the best keel shape for good all round sailing, then included all these separate design features in one yacht.

The name has the same meaning as the Yin Yang, the meaning of life, opposites, male and female etc. As the yacht is rigged in the Chinese fashion, the name 'Ti-Gitu' seemed appropriate.

Well, that is our yacht. If you see us in some anchorage then please feel free to come and say hello.

Mo Fay-Jenkins

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