I think that if you're attracted to a 'cross bike for everyday riding, it is possible to adapt some of them for touring without too much pain. But there will be things to watch out for:
Geometry:
aside from fit, the considerations here are chainstay length (versus overall wheelbase, per se) and bottom bracket clearance. Chainstay length is important primarily because you need heel clearance when mounting large panniers, and clearance for tall, fat tires on deep rims, plus fenders.
41.5 is probably too short. 44-46cm is typical of traditional touring geometry. You might be able to get away with 43 depending on how far back your rack lets you set the panniers, the size of your feet, and the shape of the panniers.
'Cross bikes also tend to have more ground clearance under the BB than other road bikes. Some tourists feel the higher center-of-gravity is detrimental to the stability of a fully loaded bike. I have no personal experience in this situation, but I do own a 'cross frame that I commute on and I don't find it noticeably more squirrely than my steel tourer, even in crosswinds.
Gearing:
most 'cross bikes come with double cranksets and road cassettes. For loaded touring you probably want a MTB triple in front and a wide range (12-34 or something) in back. This argues against buying a stock 'cross bike for touring unless the shop will swap parts for you at cost.
Bar-end shifters:
STI shifters aren't field serviceable. And if the indexing malfunctions there's no friction mode. Some tourists feel this is too risky for unsupported touring. Personally, I'm unwilling to give up the convenience of integrated shifters. I haven't toured yet on either of my new bikes, but when I do I'll just pack a downtube shifter as a spare for emergencies.
Brakes:
You'll see cantilevers on bikes with STI levers because those levers don't pull enough cable for v-brakes. Bikes with bar-end shifters usually use Dia-compe levers that are v-brake compatible. I don't think it matters, personally.
Wheels:
You can always keep a spare set of touring wheels if you'd like to use lightweight aero racing wheels for everyday riding. For touring, wider tires on beefier touring rims with more spokes are worthwhile insurance (you can usually keep riding if you break a spoke on a 36h wheel) and more comfortable with less chance of flats. I just run 700x32c tires all the time, pumped to 95psi, and I consider that an adequate all-purpose compromise.
Position:
This is something you'll have to work out for yourself. IMO, all-day riding is more comfortable when you distribute your weight more evenly between the saddle and the bars, and you have bars that allow lots of different hand/wrist positions. But I do mount my bars so the tops are almost the same height as my saddle (which required an aftermarket stem on my threaded bike, and required me to order my unthreaded bike with an uncut steerer tube). I can't imagine anything more painful than having all my weight on the saddle for 8 hours.
The bike I ride most is an Airborne Carpe Diem. This titanium frame is sold as a touring/cyclocross frame, and I've set it up with touring wheels and a mix of road and MTB drivetrain parts. It's still reasonably light, fast, and responsive and I'm just as happy with it for commuting as for centuries on country roads. If you wanted to start with a cyclocross frame (say a Surly or a Gunnar), having it built up custom by your local shop could give you everything you want.
RichC