A Buyer's Guide to Yacht Sea Trials

A sea trial exists to answer questions a static viewing cannot: how the yacht handles at cruising and top speed, how the stabilisation performs in a seaway, and whether systems behave as documented under load.

Bring your own surveyor, not only the seller's. Run the generators under full house load, not idle. Ask to see the engine room during the trial, not only before it — heat and vibration patterns tell a different story underway.