A series of experiments with barotropic and baroclinic versions of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) located over the Indonesian Seas have been performed to test the sensitivity of the models to changes in bathymetry. Some important effects, such as the internal pressure head and bottom form stress have been discovered. This raises the question as to what kinds of bottom topography peculiarities are dynamically essential to successful implementation of the model. The degree of adjustment of the bottom topography needed for the POM set up crucially depends on the answer to this question. It implies that regional coastal ocean models may not be rapidly relocatable. This result could change the way the Navy transitions coastal ocean models to operations. Instead of transitioning one generic regional ocean model to different locations, the development of individual regional models might be needed (the Gulf of Mexico model or the Yellow Sea model).