As I have stated before, boats are really tools and like any tool, suited for the job. Starting around the mid-90's in British Columbia, observed at the Vancouver and Seattle Boat Shows, sail has declined over time, think weather and speed. When I attended the Vancouver Boat show in the mid-80's, the great majority of boats on display were sailboats. The last boat show I attended in 2018, the majority are now power boats.
Not sure how much of this is said in jest, but honestly, sailing does not have to be uncomfortable. In fact, while making a passage to your next destination, I have yet to enjoy the trip by power on a great day as much as I have on a great sailing day.
Sitting in an open cockpit in the PNW, coastal BC and Alaska is not the same as sitting in a cockpit in Connecticut, Texas or Florida. Rain in our areas is a real reality.
I watch videos of boat coming and going in Haulover Inlet out of Miami. These boats, most of them are center consul or bow riders. And in the video below you will see how dangerous some of them are with kids in the bow area plowing through the waves, but I digress. These boats make sense in a hot climate with much more sun than I would ever see in two years living along coastal BC. Most of these boats are out for the day or marina bound, or beach bound. These boats don't need much amenities to have fun. And my boat would not make much sense in these waters. The boat is equipped to be on the hook for two weeks without a generator on the hook, holed up in some smaller more isolated anchorages. For me the emphasis is protection from the rain, warmth, enough power to maintain my electrical goodies with an emphasis on solar and a fuel cell.
In fact as I type this, we are having one of those west coast rains that will last through two days most likely (typical at this time of the year).
And stability of a power boat is not universal, flybridge heavy (higher center of gravity) is going to be less stable, rocking and rolling in conditions found here in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, Strait of Georgia, Johnstone Strait, et. al. Winds in these straits are well known. The advantage of a larger express cruiser is that the center of gravity is lower (with no flybride) and traveling at 10 - 12 knots surprisingly can provide a smoother ride in less than pleasant ocean conditions than going 7 or 8 knots.
But due to the room inside, I think a trawler is better for something like the Great Loop, a lot of protected waters. Of course you can travel throughout the loop in an express cruiser like a Backcove, but I'd prefer something a bit larger.
The only comfort in a sailboat in BC is in the summer when the sun is out (but usually very little wind). Then the cockpit is a great place to be, except for the sunburn. But as I type this, no way - today, with all the rain we've had and are going to have - would I want to be in a sailboat cockpit.
Haulover Inlet, Miami: (Notice the kids in front, violent waves, no life preserver)