The original inquiry did not include a budget range for a boat. That will have a huge influence on what kind of vessel would fit.
The large cabin boats like SeaRay, Chapperal, Monterey, Regal, etc. are designed to attract women who agree with their husband to 'try' boating. There are TONS of them for sale because she went a couple of times and hated it and won't go out anymore. They are designed to include as much creature comforts below, much like a bedroom or an RV. Sitting on dry land they are probably fairly comforable below, although most tend to be kind of dark because of their lack of windows. Regal has tried to combat that failure with a large forward window across the cabin, much like the old cabin cruisers of yester-year. And they are designed to cram as much living space as possible into it's profile foot-print. They bob like a cork and ride like horribly.
Very little of their design is for actually using a boat. As mentioned, ground tackle handling is virtually impossible, so on the larger models they have an electric windlass. However there are no guarantees the rode will actually snake below deck, so it's a hit-or miss proposition anyway. And most are virtually impossible to do any fishing or water sports off of them as access to the water from the aft cockpit is generally very limited, or you have to walk out on a swim platform. They have LOTS of seating, with the thought that a newbie boater will be taking LOTS of their friends along all the time. The reality is, that's generally not so.
You got one thing right, the I/O is an absolute PITA to leaving soaking in saltwater. While it can be done, the maintenance is increased and they are subject to failure from it. An I/O is like having two motors in one - the lower unit is like an outboard, it has to be serviced just like an ouboard, and then you have an automotive engine on the inside and they are a LOT of maintenance to keep them running in top shape. They are very susceptible to corrosion, and require expensive manifold rebuilds every 5-6 years. With an outboard, you tilt it out of the water, they are fuel efficient and quiet (at least the new 4-strokes are) and offer easy beaching and easy maintenance.
More importantly, these boats are NOT designed for ocean work. They are strictly for inland waterways. They are limited in tankage, both fuel and water, and when run in a chop are wet and very uncomfortable to ride in. Serious boaters find better designs for serious boating.
Grady White boats are targeted at a different kind of boater. And while they lean toward sportfishing they get used for general family cruising as well. They ride better, have longer range, are drier, are setup to gain access to the water for fishing, and are built like tanks. Fit and finish is outstanding, and they are designed to turn a hose on them inside and out (more or less) making them easy to keep clean.
The larger models do have additional seating, both around the helm as well as in the cockpit. For a couple of hour ride, more people than there are seats, will sit on the gunnels, cabin top, or stand up. You'll probably find that you'll do that less than 1% of your boating use. Cockpit carpet is an easy addition, and can be fabricated up just the same way the 'tupperware boats' do it. Throw rugs also work depending on how much you really use the boat that way.
If your intended use is more focused on cruising than fishing, there are other brands that do that well too. A straight inboard is a good solution, and depending on how fast you need to go, diesels give good range and fuel economy. Builders that come to mind are Albin, Mainship, Back Cove, to name a few, or even some of the trawler or tug-style of cruisers.
But yes, walk the shows to get a feel for the various styles. If you're new to boating most will seriously implore you not to buy new as it's highly likely you'll change your mind within a year or two of buying. New boats depreciate something horrible as most people that buy new will just do that and not consider a pre-owned. If you buy right you'll have a much better chance of getting your money out if you decide to make a change. and right now, the used boat market is a buyers market, loaded with lots of steal-deals.
I've been around boats since I was a little tike. Mom and Dad started out with a 14' aluminum fishing boat, then an outboard cruiser, then inboard cruisers, all the way to 40' motoryachts. When I was 20 I bought my first boat, was a 22' fiberglass sailboat, then a bigger one, then wooden boats. I build and restored a couple of wooden saillboats, and sold a 40' Alden Yawl when I left Seattle in '92. Getting back into boating , we looked at EVERYTHING. Lookie here...we bought a Grady! And we love it, but want a bigger one. That's the classic story of avid boaters...they always want a bigger one!
Hope this gives you some more to think about.
