December 22 – December 29, 2008
What a special Christmas week! We got it all = the sun and the rain, the sea (as expected) and the wind (the Christmas winds..., the famous winds we were told), the barracudas around the boat, and the pelicans above the deck, and above all fantastic hosts who made every day a memorable day! We were lucky to discover the BVI with you for our first time on a boat. A Great experience for all of us! Come and see us in Paris! - Bertrand & Sophie - Aurian, Astrid, Matthieu & Cyril
Dec 29, 2008 – January 3, 2009
Thank you so much for your generosity! You made our time aboard your home the “Chateau” so comfortable. Thank you for enjoying our family especially the girls. They will always have such special memories of this trip. Thank you for a truly wonderful adventure. Until we meet again have safe & healthy travels. – The Shea’s
Captain Dug and Barb! – as written by daughter Megan (12)
You guys are amazing! My family and I had a great time with you. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend New Years and the ending of my vacation! You’ll always be my grandma!;
January 4, 2009 – January 11, 2009
I had a wonderful time, couldn’t have asked for better hosts. The snorkeling was great and your company was even better. This is a trip I will remember the rest of my life. Thanks – Anne Reams
So did I have a perfect vacation. You both made sure each of us had delight, daily. I admire your exceptional “boating” skills, knowledge of the area and also “people” personalities. What a fabulous week – thank you both. Warm regards - Judi
How to begin to thank you for the amazing time we have had with you and “The Chateau”? I have felt pampered and taken care of the entire time we have been with you. You have listened to our every request and have made it happen for us. I have loved every minute of our stay with you and I hope to bring my husband with me some day for another sail with you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! – Liz Golden
Thank you for being great hosts. I enjoyed my time here and will remember it fondly the rest of my life. The snorkeling and food were AWESOME. Thank you for catering to me as a vegetarian and to Liz for her wheat allergy. I know it made coming up with a menu difficult. Thank you again. – Mary Haven
January 17 to January 26, 2009
Thank you so much for everything you guys did for us. It was perfect. I wish you good luck and safety on your future charters…. Thank you for making our first Anniversary truly memorable…. nothing will be forgotten. We had TONS of fun with you guys. Thank you for showing us all the Best Bars, Beaches and the neatest snorkeling spots. Hope to see you in a few years with our first child!! Love always – Tonya & Johnny Nelson
January 31, to Feb 7, 2009
Thank you for a wonderful week! It was truly a trip of a lifetime and one we will always remember! Yours meals were WONDERFUL! Your friendship was so warm. Your patience with the girls was incredible. We can’t wait to come back. We saw so much, Virgin Gorda, Marina Cay – pirate show, Maho Bay, Lovely Sandy Spit, White Bay and the Soggy Dollar Bar, Norman Island, Saba Rock & the Bitter End. We got to mee4t Foxy and hang up our decorated panties. We saw awesome fish. We had a pet barracuda at the Bight. We ate Lobster & visited the Willy T. Thanks for watching and playing with the girls. We so enjoyed your company. We have so much more to sea! Thank you for everything – Love Ann, Jody, Shelby, Kristen & Catherine
Your ar living the dream!! Thank you for some wonderful memories. You both are very special people! Doug is a patient teacher an I am sold on CATS. Barbara was so wonderful and magical with our kids. We now have some great friends and you are welcome to come to our house in Maryland/Washington DC or the our lake house in Deep Creek Lake anytime! Love, Jody
February 14 - 23, 2009
Thank you for another great cruise. We all looked forward to it so much (particularly Tia!!0, and we were not disappointed. It was great to get to St. Croix, even though the sailing was pretty challenging. Your hospitality is outstanding – food and drinks are great and you have been brilliant at keeping Tia entertained. Each new bay and harbor has had something new and interesting – we particularly enjoyed the quiet anch9orages on St. Johns. Looking forward to next time – Love Tom, Katie & Tia
March 31 – April 4th, 2009
What a truly glorious vacation. I have to admit, I was reluctant to do this with the kids, and having left it all up to Doug (my Doug) I was a little nervous as well. But, this has been a fabulous time. We were relaxed, catered to (which, alone is worth it!) and taken care of so nicely. The two of you feel like family now – I think the kids would agree. I can’t thank you enough for how wonderful you were with the kids and for us adults, to lose track of time and feel so relazed – the ideal vacation. You made that possible. Thanks! Deb and Doug Peterson
Letter mailed to broker from husband Doug Peterson
Our trip was FANTASTIC! There was never a dull moment. It was an adventure of a lifetime and we all keep talking about what we want to do the next time we go. Doug and Barb were excellent hosts and the Chateau was the perfect boat for our family. We were blessed with great weather for our entire trip and feel really uncomfortable to be back in the reality which is our daily life.
You can see this place in as many pictures as you can find but you never really get a sense of its true beauty until you go there. And there's no better way to see the virgin islands than from the water. We saw sea turtles up close and personal, caught live conch and lobster and put them on the grill on the back of the boat - can you get lobster any more fresh than that? While fishing off the back of the boat one morning while anchored, I had several huge tarpon on my line but lost them - like four times. One completely shot out of the water for us all to see but when I said "get the cameras ready" it got off my hook! Arg! Note to self - bring heavier tackle next time!
I made a huge list of all of the different sea life we saw while snorkeling. The kids loved the karaoke machine that was aboard. They especially loved sitting on the bow of the boat while at sail and the island exploits on the dingy. My daughter keeps telling people how she got to steer the boat. St John had a campground and Captain Doug directed us to these steps on the side of a mountain that took us up about 300 steps - the kids counted them all - and on top we watched a glass blowing demonstration - of all things to see in the middle of nowhere. The kids were mesmerized for about an hour and a half. And so were we. It was truly an amazing experience that was totally unexpected. And little things like that just kept happening day after day.
At one point in the early morning I said to Captain Doug something to the effect of - "How are you going to top what we did yesterday?" But sure enough the adventures kept coming. He took the kids to a crazy amusement park thing (I don't even know how to describe it!) in the ocean - with trampolines and rock climbing walls and other kids activities - while I snorkeled off the boat about 100 yards away. I couldn't believe where that came from. I was really into the snorkeling. One more thing that I have to say about the virgin islands - when you are on a boat or on land (above the sea) you just gaze around at these breathtaking panoramic vistas everywhere you turn. It truly is a paradise - the color of the water! Man - pictures can not do that justice I don't care what kind of camera you have. So then you put on a mask and snorkel and jump in. It instantly becomes this entirely different but equally beautiful world. Crystal clear water with visibility close to what it would be like without any water! Amazing coral formations at every turn. Colors that you wouldn't believe, fish and other sea life that just miraculously materialize in front of your very own eyes! I was swimming and following this rainbow colored angelfish and I turned and looked in front of me and there was a massive school of about 1000 barracuda just happened to be passing by. Not the big toothy and somewhat scary Great Barracuda - although we saw a handful of them too. Spanish mackerel would curiously swim around you and then leave and then a few moments later come back and then leave again. Incredible spiny sea urchins, multicolored parrotfish, sting rays, blue tangs, yellow tailed snappers - the list goes on and on and on. Then you climb back onto the boat and you're back in the above world again. I would look down at the water from the comfort of the boat and just wonder about all of the activity and life that was happening just beneath the surface. Quite literally, two distinctly different yet equally amazing worlds separated only by the surface of the water. Incredible. I've lived by the ocean in New Jersey all my life and I've never had such a transformative experience as I had in the week that was spent sailing the virgin islands with Doug and Barb aboard the Chateau. Thanks for fulfilling all of my expectations of a wonderful vacation and much, much more.- Doug Peterson - The Peterson Family (Doug, Debbie, Ty (8), and Jamie (6))
Letter sent to Broker re Captain only April 16 – April 21, 2009
We had a wonderful trip on CHATEAU. Doug, the captain, was very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant. He provisioned our food choices that I had sent via email and helped us learn how to use everything in the kitchen as well as proper use of the heads. He was extremely warm to the kids and made great suggestions as to our itinerary of sailing. The six of us had no problem with the spaciousness of CHATEAU and loved swimming off the boat. We ate out on two occasions, both for dinner, and Doug was a pleasant addition to our dinner. As a added extra, Doug offered to make pancakes and bacon for us for breakfast one day. We hope to go on another trip in the future. Thank you for your help. - Joanne Chang
April 7 – April 13, 2009
I had so much fun and I don’t want to leave. But, I have no choice. I’ll miss playing Mexican Dominoes with Mrs. Barb and Mr. Doug’s wonderful cooking (you too Mrs. Barb). You guys have made this vacation the best trip of my life and I am definitely aiming to come back and stay with the Chateau hosts again. I have to go but you have left me with so many of the greatest memories of all. – Love, Brookie Bear Butterfield
P.S. I forgot to mention that all of the wonderful meals were 5 star. (as written by oldest child)
Thank you so much for helping us have a vacation we will never forget! Words cannot express the positive impact this trip had had on my soul. Your love and kindness (and tending) were the perfect compliment to the amazing beauty that abounds here! Peace, Love and all Great things to you. Always – Paul Butterfield (PEB)
Thank you for being such wonderful hosts and guides on this amazing journey. Each day brought beauties I have only dreamt of and your endless pampering was an incredible treat! You two are very sweet and doting; and the children enjoyed all of the love an attention you shared. I will miss you and the Chateau…hope to see you soon on St. John,- Sincerely, and I loved the spinnaker too - Melinda Butterfield
