If you are truly up to speed with Corel Draw version 11 or higher, then your
transisition to CAD will not be that painful. But my question is why don't
you use Corel Draw? Where does Corel Draw fail in your needs?

Corel Draw is a great vector graphic program. You should be able to sketch
your project, have several layers, do line measurements, just about
everything you are asking about. With basic drafting skills, you can do
many, many things. But you must have the basic drafting skills.

But a vector graphic programs (as a class of software) cannot do, and were
not designed to do several things:
-- accurate, to scale, precision printouts.
-- exchange drafting files between engineers at different companies as in
sub-contracting work.
-- Civil engineering projects (loads, vibration, and so forth.
-- and other things that a hobby woodworker should not care about.

However, there is another very small class of software called Technical
Illustration vector graphics. The only application I know about in this
class is Designer (there are others.) Designer once was owned by
Micrografx, but is now sold by Corel. Designer is very close to Corel Draw
(as a vector graphics program) with most of the same tools and techniques.
Just more emphasis on accurate placement of objects on computer screen, and
less attention to color and paint brush styles. See the Corel website.

But just asking, have you run a Google on: CAD, woodworking ?
I found several hits on summaries and reviews of several cross-breeds
between full CAD programs and the despised "Kitchen Re-Model" programs.
These cross-breeds seemed to be just for Wood Workers and many offer free
download trials.

Phil