A sea trial is a critical step in the process of purchasing a new boat, new build yacht, or assessing the performance of an existing one after significant repairs or modifications. It involves taking the vessel out on the open water to evaluate its performance, seaworthiness, and handling under real-world conditions. During a sea trial, various aspects of the boat are tested, including engine performance, handling and maneuverability, speed and acceleration, navigation and electronic systems, stability, and overall comfort. Additionally, safety equipment and hull integrity are thoroughly inspected to ensure everything is functioning correctly. A well-conducted sea trial can reveal potential issues that may not be evident during an on-land inspection, providing valuable insights for buyers and owners alike. This is also a great time for you to see how the yacht handles and moves in the water. What looks good on land, may not move the way you want it to once in the water. This guide put together by our YATCO team will help you understand what to look for during a sea trial, ensuring you make an informed decision and enjoy a safe, reliable, and enjoyable boating experience.
Table of contents
What is a Sea Trial?
A sea trial, also known as a shakedown cruise, is a test of a boat, ship, or watercraft conducted in open water. Sea trials are essential in evaluating the performance, seaworthiness, and handling characteristics of the vessel before the yacht is launched or purchased. Sea trials are typically performed before a new boat is delivered to its owner or after significant repairs or modifications. During a sea trial, various aspects of the vessel are tested, including:
- Engine Performance: Assessing the engine’s power, fuel efficiency, and overall performance.
- Handling and Maneuverability: Evaluating how well the boat handles in different conditions, including turns, stops, changes in speed and even weather conditions.
- Speed and Acceleration: Measuring the boat’s top speed, acceleration, and ability to maintain speed.
- Navigation and Electronics: Testing the functionality of navigation systems, radar, GPS, and other electronic equipment.
- Stability and Comfort: Assessing the vessel’s stability in different sea conditions and the comfort level for passengers.
- Safety Equipment: Ensuring all safety equipment is functioning correctly, including life vests, fire extinguishers, and communication systems.
- Hull Integrity: Inspecting the hull for any leaks, vibrations, or structural issues.
Sea trials provide valuable feedback to manufacturers, owners, and surveyors, ensuring that the vessel meets safety and performance standards before it is fully commissioned or delivered. As a result of this, the sea trial period is invaluable to ensuring the lifetime success of the yacht.
First Things First: Conduct a Proper Survey
To have a proper survey, you should research a good surveyor, make sure they have the right qualifications and are familiarized with the marine politics in the country where the boat will be purchased. If you’re not sure where to begin, always work with a trusted yacht broker who can recommend one.
Once you have made sure that you have the right surveyor, the yacht needs to be taken out of the water, and a thorough inspection of the hull, the outside areas and interior, equipment, engine room, and every other aspect of the yacht must be done. However, there are many details that can’t be surveyed while the yacht is outside the water, including the yacht’s performance. This is why a sea trial is recommended, and it should be taken very seriously.
Six Sea Trial Steps You Don’t Want to Miss
If you have hired a yacht surveyor to check the quality of the yacht you want to purchase, this same person would probably inspect the vessel during the sea trial. If this is not the case, let your yacht broker, captain, or chief engineer do the survey for you, or if you have the knowledge, go and do the sea trial yourself with the surveyor. If you are purchasing a superyacht, however, you will need the surveyor and captain and chief engineer on hand at a minimum.
Before the Sea Trial
Before you go on the sea trial
- Make a list of all the areas you want to check, all the systems and electronics, and any equipment that can’t be checked during the first stage of the survey.
- Make sure that there is up-to-date safety gear on board.
- Bring a camera to take photos and videos during the sea trial.
Before running the boat
- Check the engine room for any leaks or dripping and take pictures of anything you see.
Another point to consider is the quantity of fuel and water in the tanks
- The fuller, the better.
- Ideally, water and fuel tanks should be full to the top. This way, any cracks or leakages could be identified on time. Also, that would contribute to the more realistic load of the boat in normal conditions with more passengers on board.
If the boat has been actively used
- Ensure no unsecured objects that might fall during the trial. It is crucial to execute the sea trial in conditions closest to the ones you would typically use the vessel. If you plan to use the yacht on rough seas, wait for bad weather to do the sea trial.
Once you have made it clear to yourself and the yacht professionals running the sea trial what needs to be checked and all the sea trial preparations have been made, you are ready to go for a rough ride of exploring the yacht’s capacities.
During the Sea Trial
Try the boat’s performance by reaching the extremities in the RPMs
- Pay attention to how it stays in a planing position when cruising or when at anchor. Check the yacht’s stability and rolling time. Make a few walkthroughs while at different speeds so you can get an idea of how it feels to be on board while underway.
- Pay attention to any weird sounds, engine noise, and vibrations. It is a good idea to get the authorized technical team taking care of the engines such as MTU and CAT specialists to register your engines performance.
- Pay attention to the engine room temperature and the temperature of the air going into the engines. They usually should not differ with the outside air temperature of more than 16 -17 C. Generators should be working at at least half of their maximum capacity. However, if surveyed at 80% of their load would be ideal.
- Check water-makers if possible.
- While at the helm, check out the visibility at different boat positions in accordance with the water.
- Also, go through all the electronics and navigation systems. This is the time to check sonar, radar, depth sounder, etc. Register fuel burns at different RPMs.
While on board
- Take a seat in different areas where passengers might be sitting so you can get an idea of comfort and visibility.
- Pay attention to how dry the ride is. Is there water coming on board while going fast?
- Take the chance to check the anchor. This way, you would also have the opportunity to try zero-speed stabilizers or only the rolling period if stabilization is available but not switched on. Crane and tender can also be surveyed while at anchor.
Running the two-staged survey is a very important step when purchasing a yacht. It is a big investment, but it can give you peace of mind when using the yacht in the future if done by the right professional. On the other side, a bad survey report can dramatically decrease the asking price and lead to a great deal for the buyer. The buyer usually pays the survey after a deposit has been given in an escrow account. Usually, the seller covers fuel expenses for the sea trial, but this is not a rule, and it should be discussed before the process.
A Sea Trial Is a Test and Not a Pleasure Ride
Remember that the sea trial is a test, not a pleasant time to enjoy the vessel. Try to check as much as possible because if you don’t find any issues at the sea trial after the purchase, you will be responsible for the yacht and can’t complain that something is not working. If you are given the opportunity to do a survey, grab it, and use it wisely. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and use a reputable surveyor.
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