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.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. This guide covers progressive speed, maneuvering, and endurance sea trials of self-propelled surface ships displacing 300 tonnes or more. Sea trials are an important step within the boat buying process that allows you to take a boat for "test run. USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) has completed trials testing all its systems in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of delivery to the Navy in the spring of 2024.