boat vin #'s

[63stevens]

what year did they start putting vin #'s on boats?

[old rigger]

Rick,
Don't remember the exact year, but I thnk it was either 72 or 73.
How's that Lavey working?
Need to find a cruiser this winter.

[FastRat1]

for what its worth...i have a '73 Kona and it has a vin #...i think they came out in the late 60's
Ron

[Sangster]

Our 65'Shiada has none.... :cool:

[old rigger]

FastRat1:
for what its worth...i have a '73 Kona and it has a vin #...i think they came out in the late 60's
Ron Naw, we never used them in the 60's other than sometimes writing them on a data plate, and that was sometimes. Some guys like Mandella and a few others laminated a little plaque in the hull somewhere with a # on it, but the permanent numbers on the transom, and sometimes hidden on the deck somewhere to make it harder to change when a boat was stolen, was started in the 70's.
[ August 20, 2003, 08:23 AM: Message edited by: old rigger ]

[old rigger]

double post
[ August 20, 2003, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: old rigger ]

[63stevens]

my 72 Lavey has a number on the owner's slip but there is no number to be found on the hull anywhere.
Old rigger- the Lavey is doing well. Had some wiring problems but got them all worked out. everything is working well right now. hope to redo the thing this winter.

[SteelClipper]

HINs (Hull Identification Numbers) were optional for boat manufacturers to be on all boats made after January 1st 1972. They were mandatory for all new boats made after August 1st 1972. The Coasties first started enforcing the August date in November of 1972.
All HINs are 12 characters long. The first three characters are called the 'MIC' or Manufucaturer Identification Code. All makers have to register with the Coasties to get a MIC. The next 5 characters of the HIN is for the serial number of the boat (however the maker wants to use those). The final 4 characters (depending on the model year) denoted the model year and the month and year the hull was laid.
I hope this helps.

[Boatski]

I have a 1974 Howard mini cruiser and it has no ID'#. I was told that most ID'# were not mandatory until after 1974. Go figure. :cool:

[DansBlown73Nordic]

I have a 73 Nordic with no numbers....

[BigBoyToys]

A hull identification number (or HIN) means a number assigned to specific watercraft by the manufacturer or by a government jurisdiction as prescribed by the U.S. Coast Guard. It is similar to a car's vehicle identification number. All watercraft manufactured after August 1972 are required by federal law to have a 12 digit HIN. your watercraft will require inspection if it is homemade or newer than the 1972 and does not have a conforming HIN number.

[DUCKY]

My 1960 Biesemeyer had a number plate riveted to the toe board. It had only a 6digit serial number though. I had to have AZ Game and fish assign me a new number to register it.