Question. Say, hypothetically, a sailboat had a foot of water in it for a week because a yard didn’t seal a new stuffing box properly. And then, say, it had more water in it a year or so later after a heat exchange tube broke. Yet that same boat has been used and sailed to distant areas after both incidents. Would that be a sailboat anyone here would purchase?
As long as the water was removed in a week, I would inspect the bottom of the bulkheads for any veneer separation and if solid, go ahead. I am not sure how long of an exposure really damages the wood.
Back when we bought our boat, there was light salt water staining up about 2" on the bottom of the bulkheads, and we just figured that there were enough gallons in the shallow bilge that it sloshed around and above the top of the sole when tacking in heavy air in SF. The wood was solid. Later I cleaned and bleached the bulkheads, gave them a light sanding and applied coats of varnish. They look great, and it's not just me saying so.
Wishy washy answer...... "it depends"..... Did the wood soak for less than a week, or "about a week"? How do they look now?
EY used high quality solids and veneers in the 80's, in my experience. So that makes a difference too.
Our boat had a 'leaking' stuffing box (i.e. too much water coming in) when we bought it. I pretty quickly decided to change to a PSS Shaft Seal.