First Impression: Sea Chateau

Date toured: November 2006

“Hi, I’m Kim Kavin from CharterWave,” I said as I stepped onto the deck of the 50-foot sailing catamaran Sea Chateau.
     “Hi, I’m Capt. Greg Lewis,” came the reply from the smiling man with the outstretched hand. “We’re the boat known for the most amount of toys.”
     Talk about knowing you’re in a competitive marketplace! I liked Greg and his wife, Laura, immediately. Their yacht was in good shape, they were both outgoing and energetic, and they had a keen awareness that if they wanted to win people’s charter business, they had to be continually investing in things like the newest water toys to carry during vacations in the Virgin Islands.
     The list of water toys onboard Sea Chateau is quite lengthy, including a 12-foot Hobie Cat sailboat, a 15-foot dinghy, water skis, a wakeboard, a doughnut for towing, 14 scuba tanks and seven sets of gear, a two-person kayak, two underwater scooters, and two Aquanaut blades for towing behind the dinghy (no kicking required—just hang on). Greg proudly showed me each and every toy—all in great condition—and then added that he likes to make fun out of pretty much anything he can. “Before every meal, I can do a napkin-folding contest,” he says. “People love it.”
      They’ve done more than 100 charters, which have taught them how to customize each vacation to the group’s individual preferences. “I have my own custom preference sheet,” Laura explained. “It’s more detailed than what other boats might use. I’ve found that what people say and what they want are usually two different things, but I’m lucky because we have a lot of storage. I’m ready no matter what they want. I ask, ‘How many people in your party eat so-and-so?’ We even ask their fin size, to make sure we have enough snorkeling gear.”
     Sea Chateau has 7 feet of headroom throughout, something that helps the yacht to stand out in its size range. The Lewises have also invested in a 40-inch television with Bose surround sound, Sirius satellite radio, and WiFi in the main saloon, partly to keep guests happy and partly because Greg is a die-hard NFL football fan.
     I guess that’s what it means to have every possible game at the ready.
     Sea Chateau is part of the Flagship fleet. The yacht has three guest cabins with queen-size berths, ideal for couples who want to split the bill. The weekly all-inclusive rate for six guests is $13,800 ($2,300 per person), with lower rates available if you want to bring fewer people onboard.—Kim Kavin