GL: What's the Difference?

[GHNutley@aol.com]

As some of you may recall, I have contemplated long and hard about this for  
several years.  Well, crunch time has arrived.  So, I thought I'd  query my 
trusted friends and experts on this list.
Before the question first some facts.  I am a single cruiser.  I  live in New 
Jersey (please save your comments on that for another time).  I  plan on most 
of my cruising being the canals of New York and Canada and the  entire length 
(to Tampa) of the ICW.  Because of divorce(s), a non-planned  early 
retirement, two college education bills, etc., money is not all that  plentiful.  I 
figure I will have about $50,000 for a boat and set-up and  about $30,000/year 
living expenses.  I queried Yachtworld.com for all power  and sail with single 
engine diesels in a price range up to $45,000 and newer  than 1980 in the range 
of 30' - 35'.  Hundreds of boats were returned based  on my query.  However, 
the breakout was roughly 90% sailboats, 5%  commercial boats and 5% "trawler 
types", needing TLC and cosmetic repairs.
 
So, here's the question (and, yes, I have asked this before), when doing  
cruising such as I anticipate, what is the difference between a "trawler-type"  
boat and a shallow (shoal, less than 4') draft sailboat with all the standing  
rigging removed?
 
My first inclination is to say the sailboat makes perfect sense.  But,  what 
do I know?  So, I pose this question to this illustrious group of  experts 
.... what's the difference?
 
Greg