Have you ever wonderd what that strange series of letters and numbers on the transom of your boat are. Well, if you have taken the Nautical Know How course you know they are Hull Identification Numbers (HIN) and that they are required. But, what do they mean?

All boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN. The HIN is a 12 character serial number that uniquely identifies your boat. The HIN has an important safety purpose. It enables manufacturers to clearly identify for boat owners the boats that are involved in a defect notification and recall campaign. A HIN is not the same as a State registration number, which may be required to be displayed on the bow of your boat. The HIN is a Federal requirement; your boat’s registration number is a State requirement similar to the license plate on your car. The HIN, however, is required to be shown on the State certificate of registration.

The first three letters of the HIN are the Manufacturer’s Identification Code (MIC). The following link is to a U.S. Coast Guard database, where entering that three letter MIC will get you the manufacturer of the boat.
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx

The last four characters indicate the month and year the boat was built, and the model year.

When you have identified the manufacturer of your boat, look in the Inflatable Boat Reference Chart on our website for the boat’s material, adhesive needed for repairs and type of valves.

Questions: Call The Raft Doctor 503-788-3077 or use our contacts page.