Pre-trial inspection

A pre-trial inspection is the yard’s readiness check before the ship sails for the sea trial, confirming the vessel and its systems are safe and complete enough to run the trial program. It verifies that the dock or basin trial items are cleared, the machinery is commissioned to the point the sea runs require, the steering gear and navigation equipment work, life-saving and fire-fighting gear is aboard, tanks are sounded and the trial loading condition is set, and the class surveyor’s pre-trial requirements are met. The inspection produces the go or no-go decision for sailing; an open safety-critical item stops the trial until corrected.