Sea trials are carried out under a variety of circumstances. A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines).It is also referred to as a shakedown cruise. Sea trials are an important step within the boat buying process that allows you to take a boat for "test run. This content will feature some of the frequently asked questions OCM will highlight. Check back for updates. A sea trial is the marine equivalent of a test drive, crucial for assessing a vessel's performance before it is fully commissioned or sold. Notice No. 1 (effective on 1 July 2018) to the 2018 Rules, is summarized below. Greetings, all, So, I'm in Holland MI, and have surveyed and sea trialed the Sunscape mentioned in these pages previously. Notice No. 1 (effective on 1 July 2018) to the 2018 Rules, is summarized below.