Nice job DE18.
An experienced surveyor uses a hammer to test for bad wood. While my Chris was being surveyed, I noticed he skipped this test. When i asked he said "no need, no wood below the water line on this boat". So, you could research for a boat like this or buy Aluminum w/o wood stringers. Or get it surveyed. Or get one that has been on a trailer & covered.
One time I ran my 24 SeaRay from Neah Bay to Ucluelet based on a faulty weather forecast. The seas on Swiftsure were at least 20 feet. I was ready to sell the boat & take the bus home when i got there. Boating is not like driving a car; it;s wise to plan 7 equip for worst case scenario's. On the above trip one of several waves that broke on the boat (true green water) washed-out the VHF radio. Turning around would have flipped us.
Length helps as it allows you to have the hull riding on more than one wave where the waves are primarily generated by local winds (AKA choppy) versus ocean swells generated hundreds/thousands on miles away. The longer length results in less pitching. Longer boats tend to have higher sides (more freeboard). I like lots of beam. It increased stability, gives you more room for a given length, & doesn't cost more for moorage or the Ferry.
From your tow vehicle capacity & the waters you intend to be on I'd say get an Aluminum that has a fairly deep vee hull. It will probably cost more than FG but you can use a smaller OB because AL is about 30% lighter or so. The smaller lighter OB will make the boat ride much better & costs less. When I replaced the I/O with an OB on my 24 SeaRay the stern sat about 3" higher when still & it would take a 4' chop at 45mph although all the banging & crap flying around was pretty stressful.
You can look at the "proptests" on the Yamaha/Suzuki web pages & get a fair idea how your boat will perform with a given OB. Max MPG sees to be around 4000 RPM for most boat/motor combo's. Aiming for a 25 mph cruise is not a bad idea as faster speeds w/o a flybridge make seeing debris a problem.