Newbie, starting my research

Hello, I'm starting my research on larger boats and aim to buy one in 5-6 years when I retire. We live in Vancouver, Canada and I want to be able to take weekend trips or even trips lasting ~10 days. Plenty of places to explore along the west coast of Canada and the Pacific Northwest USA. I may buy a cabin cruiser in the next couple of years as a weekender and stepping stone into something bigger down the road. Goal is to have plenty of space for 4 people (2 adults, 2 teens) but occasionally have guests we can squeeze in as well.

Right now, I don't even know what type of boat I should consider. I see boats like Nordhavn, Selene, Ranger Tugs, etc. These all seem to be in one type of 'class'. Then there are boats like Galeon, Azimut, Sea Ray, Carver, Tiara, etc. Not sure how these type of boats generally differ, pros and cons, etc. Any insight or links to helpful resources would be great.

My fist take seems to be that the first types are a little more sea worthy, with more redundancy and ability to travel further offshore?

I'm going to be moving up from a ski boat so today I'm used to speed and performance. I lean more towards a sleeker boat that has some speed but I'm keeping an open mind. I'm also aware that moving a large boat quickly requires significant power and thus fuel. So really I'm looking at everything and trying to be objective.

What is important to me is being comfortable and having the necessities. I'll likely need one larger berth for my wife and I, and two separate single beds for the twins. Will need a decent galley to prepare food, and a place to eat. I also want a boat I can use during the winter months, maybe not on the very cold days or in very rough winds but we do get mild days that allow for cruising. So, probably a boat that has a closed cabin make sense, but one that opens into an open area in the summer would be nice. I don't need high-end luxury nor a boat that can cross the Pacific. Even if my boat could make such a crossing, I don't have the skill and experience to tackle that. I'm looking for coastal cruising between marinas and anchoring in bays.

The Galeon 410 HTC seems to fit these requirements having the sleeping space, galley, etc. I also like how the gunwale folds down to make a large open deck. The issue I see here is the boat has no tender, once at anchor how do I get to shore unless I swim (or use a paddleboard, etc.)?

If I look at a similar size Nordhavn, the N41, It has a tender, closed cabin, etc. but only a single berth. This boat looks like it could handle much rougher seas and built like a tank for year-round living on the water. Also, fuel capacity is triple in the Nordhavn so range and time on the water seem to be design goals for the boat.

The Nordhavn is about $750K new, the Galeon is about $975K new. I plan to buy a used boat regardless but that gives me an idea of price comparisons at least. I'm not sure about running costs of the two boats, but I'm assuming the Nordhavn with diesel would be less expensive.

I'm not married to either of these boats, just using them as representative examples from different classes.

Thanks, I'll check out that guide. I always check out the boats on the water, and at the marina. I see everything from cuddy cabins to this beauty: https://www.*********************/yachts/editorial-features/attessa-iv-yacht--247
I do also talk to people about their boats when I get the opportunity.

Thanks cleanslate. I'm not ready to put together a budget quite yet, at least 5 years out from buying this boat. Just getting educated on what options are out there. A lot can happen in the next 5 years, and who knows I may delay retirement for a few years after that.

If I had to pick today, thinking a boat that can do 20-25 knots, 2 staterooms, 2 heads (1 shower), galley, salon. Thinking the boat will be large enough that I'll want a tender to get around once at my destination. Probably a single helm is fine, though I don't know enough about the pros/cons of a second.
I'm handy but can likely only deal with basic repairs. If an engine breaks down I'm unlikely to be taking it apart to fix it. Redundancy is likely necessary, just for peace of mind.

Chris, I suppose I'm not that picky on the type of berth. I wouldn't turn pass over a boat based on that. Electric vs propane and the electrical systems are somethings I'll definitely research, thanks. Dinghy is also going to change things, I'll have to give that some thought. Thanks!