"mickey" wrote:
Why are you set on those two boats? They are quite
different, so I'm a bit surprised your'e down to these
two finalists. IMHO, a collision bulkhead, while nice,
should not be at the top of the consideration list.
A collision that would damage your hull to the extent
of flooding the boat is not very likely, compared to
some events that the stability and seaworthiness of the
boat have more of an effect on. Especially considering
what the outcome of a collision is, bulkhead or not.
Do you also assume that the colision will be in such
a location taht the balast will be worth the other risks?

What attracts you to these two boats?

I need at least 3 staterooms (one for the litter boxes)
and 2 heads (so Olive can have an en-suite head).

I don't need a boat as heavy as a Tayana but I just like
the layout of the Vancouver 460 because of the pilothouse.
However, this seems to be the only boat with 3 staterooms
and a pilothouse which I can find around here for under
$400,000. So if it's not stable enough for going offshore
I'll have to get something without a pilothouse.

Then I just happened to find a beautiful 2005 Beneteau 473
for sale at a good price. I've also considered Hunters and
Catalinas but don't like them as much. Some Catalinas have
an AVS of 105 degrees so they're even less stable than the
Vancouver 460. Bavarias are also nice and have Kevlar in
bow sections for increased impact and puncture resistance.

I talked to Bob Harris (designer of the Vancouver 460) on
Friday and he said he's going to email me later to address
my concerns. He also told me that an AVS of 110 degrees
is fine for this type of boat even though some people here
think it's not good enough.