Looking for some new boat answers

First I'll question why you're only looking at new boats. You'll save a ton of money (to put into a bigger or better boat) by getting one a couple years old. Right now manufacturers are rushing to catch up to sales made over the past year. Do you want a boat that's been rushed through? Boats generally get so little use that a 2 or 3 y.o. old boat is brand new except that it's already been equipped and the new boat bugs have been worked out. The second thing to consider is how far you'll have to travel for service. Local representation is very important, especially if still on warranty. You don't want to have to run it down to San Diego every time it needs service. Pods will make docking a cinch, give you more space, better fuel economy and speed, but there are differing opinions about issues such as water intrusion and the cost of repairs and maintenance. If you do go with pods I'd recommend IPS over Zeus because Zeus seems to be fading from the scene. Since you're looking for spring 2022 I'd recommend using this time to decide on the one or two boats you want to short list, but wait to see what the market is doing after Labor Day. Right now you're in a serious seller's market. My opinion is that it'll be much more a buyer's market after Labor day and through next winter. You have a healthy budget but every dollar you save on the purchase can go to your cruising budget.
Finally I've never heard of a 25' Sealegs. Look at their resales and I think you'll get an idea why it pays to buy a boat with a recognized name and following. You can pay at the front end or the back end, but the more popular the brand the easier and more profitable the back end is.

You're planning to tow a 25' boat behind a 45' boat? That's going to put a lot of stress on that Riviera or anything else in that size range. If you are talking about a one time emergency tow no issues. But for regular use I would do some homework before you plan for that type of towing. I doubt you even have cleats big enough or rated for towing something of that size. And then there's the stress on the engines and propulsion, regardless of pods or shafts.

I agree with Dockmaster. I think your cleats (actually the tow eyes) can handle it, big everything else he wrote is on target. Then there's the question of Why would you want to. If you go to marinas you'll have the hassles of dealing with the 2nd boat, and there's not much you can do or places you can go with the 25 that you can't do or go with the 45. Better to pick up a small dink for exploring nooks and crannies or going into the beach.

Just looked up the 25 Sealegs. That's pretty strange and a bit cool. Most 45' shouldn't have trouble towing that boat, but it will play havoc on your fuel burn and slow you down. The big question mark is the wheels. I have no idea how they may respond to being towed. If they dig in you could have a disaster. Have you ever had it in tow?

Very cool, but I still think I'd like to stuff the bow into a few waves to see what happens when that front wheel hits a wave from an angle. Must say though that what sounded like a bad idea is making more sense more I hear and see.

Well you have zincs on your OB and can hang a zinc on a cable when you must leave it in the water.

Weight and drag on the vessel doing the towing are the issue. You will be asking your 45’ boat to do things never intended from that size. If you get lucky and always have calm water you may get away with it for awhile. But you will be stressing that 45’ boat well beyond what it is engineered for. And, when you do get into some seas your going to be in for some real trouble towing that thing.
Even if you stay on the inside of Vancouver Island and limit yourself to inside passage you still get weather. Those close together, wind waves you will encounter are going to reach havoc on you trying to tow. And Queen Charlotte Sound will give you lots of trouble. Those sunny days will look inviting until you get out there with that NW wind rolling that wind chop in there. I’m not trying to throw cold water on your fun. Just hate to see you get into an ugly situation.

+1 on Dockmaster’s comments.

As an aside, it’s also not likely that any boat in the size range mentioned would have towing cleats sufficient to handle a 5000 lb tow in the conditions you will inevitably encounter in PNW waters. Thinking Johnstone Strait into a NW wind on tide, never mind Queen Charlotte Sound.

Also insurance won't cover it. I used to tow a 25' center console behind a 52' Searay sedan bridge. It towed it OK, but surely stressed the engines on the Searay and had to run them 85% load to keep everything in step a lot of times. 3-5' was the most I had the rig out on, and you could feel it back there, but it was still ok. Any more than that. would've been a mess. A 45' is just too small unless you tow it at hull speed 8 knots all of the time.....you really need a 55'+ yacht IMO to tow that.

Let me know when you get your new boat and are ready to make the trip up to Ketchikan and perhaps beyond. It is a fantastic trip and should be on your bucket list. If you prefer to stay in Canadian waters then at least go to Prince Rupert. Happy to give you some tips and lessons learned. Like, don’t mistakingly go thru Dodd Narrows at mid tide . Took me a a few days to get unpuckered

Don't know about Belize. I've run several Fairlines over the years. They're just ok. A lot of steps everywhere inside of the boat. Quality is just ok, performance just ok, ceiling height is low as well. Of the British boats, I'd rate Sunseeker 1, Princess 2, Fairline 3. What about a Neptunus?

A lot seems to be being made about the size of the boat towing. As long as the tow eyes and transom are beefed up it's all about the motors and the props. I remember one guy who put a wave runner and hydraulic swim platform on the back of a 45' SR DA. It could barely get on plane. I also remember being on a 50 Viking SC flying across Block Island Sound while being towed behind a 26 BW (Sea Tow). The OP just has to find the sweet spot between setting his boat up for Sunday cruising and turning it into a dedicated tow boat. Still though that front wheel on the Sealegs concerns me. Just don't know how that'll react when it stuffs into a wave. Btw, you'll also need a beefed up tow eye on the Sealegs.

Some folks would say it's a good thing. For those who think otherwise, Vicem offers a fiberglass hull option.