My two cents: If you're going to go through the trouble of building a beautiful wooden boat, why cover it up with paint?
I have a Pygmy Boats Osprey HP that's just clear-finished with Z-Spar's Captain's varnish. Along the keel, I have a narrow, extra layer of fiberglass tape -- the so-called "sacrificial" strip to take abuse. After a year of heavy use, the boat looks okay. Some minor scratches along the hull, a few dingers into the keel tape.
When it gets too ugly to bear, I'll simply sand once and re-finish. Every few years I expect I may replace the sacrificial strip, too. Otherwise, it's not that bad once you get used to the idea it'll scratch every now and then. In my opinion, it's still way prettier than paint. And from what I've seen, it's not like paint is bulletproof -- it scratches and gouges, too.
Best of luck, and happy paddling.