I went through a similar thought process while planning my wifes Ch16LT. Here is how my internal conversation went. The boat is primarily a day paddler, but a couple of times a year we go on 2 to 3 day camping trips. I decided to optimized for convenient day paddling and overnighting.

1. The seasock concept is simple but there are wear & tear issues. Having to install the sock for day paddling also seemed inconvenient. I feared that my wife might dislodge the sock from the coaming during a wet exit. I rejected this as my least favorite, although I must admit I have never used nor have I paddled with anyone who uses a sock so my personal experience is nil.

2. Float bags are simple, reasonably easy to use, but wear & tear is also an issue for float bags. You can buy models that open on the end facing the cockpit so you can store gear in them (similar to a big dry bag). They do allow more water in the hull than a sock or bulkheads. Getting gear in and out of them is not convenient.

3. Properly installed bulkheads and hatches are the most convenient for storage and function well for floation. They are the most durable solution. I liked this solution the best for floation and storage, but like you I hated the idea of cutting holes in that beautiful wooden deck. So I compromised; deck hatch and bulkhead aft and removable bulkhead in the front with no deck hatch. The removable bulkhead also serves as the inspection port. If dislike the removable bulkhead concept, a dry bag in the front is not a bad compromise.

The removable bulkhead is not convenient because you must reach inside the cockpit and remove 6 wing nuts (in my implementation, one could do better). But it does give reasonable access to the forward compartment when you need it. Fortunately, we never need to store equipment in bow compartments for day paddling. Since I have a large expedition size boat with bow and stern hatches we rarely use the bow compartment of my wife's boat even for overnighters. For the longer trips, we store stuff that we need later in the trip (such as food for day 3&4) behind the removable bulkhead. This way we only have to access it once or twice each trip.