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I’ve had several displacement hull sailboats, some with Diesel engines. I had a Columbia 29 that weighed 8500 pounds and drew four feet with a full keel. It had a Volvo penta 2002, which is an 18hp two cylinder diesel. I went 7 nautical miles on just the fuel in the filler neck, which was only about 18” long and about 1 1/2” hose.

A similar two cylinder 18-22 hp diesel (especially with a 4:1 transmission, rather than 3:1), would propel a 13-15 foot planing hull weighing 400-500 pounds super easily. Use trim tabs to get up (though you likely wouldn’t need it, it saves fuel by using less throttle). You’d plane and probably be able to cruise at 1500-2000 rpm and make maybe 15 knots or better.

I’d imagine this would be a super economical commuter, and you could put a dodger on it with sitting headroom to stay out of the rain and sun. A Carolina skiff would be a good platform, but they slap terribly in a chop. Use a shallow to moderate V hull and you’ll still be able to cross shoals of depths 2-3 feet, or a deep V if shallow water isn’t an issue. A deep V will cut through the chop easier, but it takes more power and fuel to get on a plane.

Commuter boats in New England and the Pacific Northwest are certainly a thing, but are typically not planing hulls. I’d look for a shallow V hull fishing boat weighing 500 or so pounds and brush up on your fiberglassing skills. Decent engine beds, a skeg for the prop shaft to come through (helps the vessel track better also), and a rudder (you could use a dinghy sailer’s transom hung rudder potentially, but would be less efficient) and you’d have a nice little commuter. Look for a boat that has built in storage so your groceries stay dry. This boat would probably only burn 1/8 gallon an hour or less. My 29 ft 8500 pound Columbia only burned a 1/4 gallon an hour and half the boat was below the waterline.