Federal Hull Identification Number for 1988 13-footer

[Kovar]

On my 1988 13-footer there is a metal tag on starboard side of the transom, but I cannot read any numbers. The marina that sold me the boat gave a HIN for it.

Also, I do not see a molded number inside the hull. Perhaps I don't know where to look.

There is a stenciled number on the inner stern directly below the engine: 2E4992.

Q1: what is the significance of the stencil number 2E4992?


--Sam

[jimh]

On my 1988 13-footer there is a metal tag on starboard side of the transom, but I cannot read any numbers.

A boat made in c.1988 would have been required to have a molded-in federal HIN number on the transom. The requirement to have an etched HIN or a molded-in HIN was created in 1983, so a 1988 boat, to be legal, should have such a molded-in or etched number, not a metal tag. On that basis, I would wonder about the actual year of production of the boat being earlier than 1988. Or, maybe the metal tag is covering the original molded-in HIN.

The marina that sold me the boat gave me a HIN for it.

That was fortunate for the marina, but, again, if the boat is actually a 1988 it should have a molded-in HIN.

Also, I do not see a molded number inside the hull. Perhaps I don't know where to look.

The molded-in hidden HIN may be covered by some other gear affixed on the boat. But if the boat is actually older, the requirement for a second hidden HIN may not have been in effect when the boat was made.

There is a stenciled number on the inner stern directly below the engine: 2E4992.

Q1: what is the significance of the stencil number 2E4992?

The stencil number can be interpreted but only in a limited manner. See the REFERENCE section article on the 13-foo hull at

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/

A stencil number of 2E4992 probably indicates a 13-foot hull, as the stencil number sequence used beginning in the 1970's had a prefix of "2A' and 2B" and so on. This would make a prefix of "2E' indicative of a 13-foot hull, but I do not have any tables that would indicate what year of production the sequence 2E4992 might have been used.

What was the HIN identity that the marina gave you for this hull?

[Kovar]

The HIN used to pay the sales tax: BWCM10365788.

The cockpit and deck of this boat are white.

Q2: what would a molded number look like?

Q3: is it on the outside of the transom?

Q4: any specific location?

[jimh]

[See an improved interpretation in another post from be below, and made not quite so early in the morning--jimh]

The HIN used to pay the sales tax: BWCM10365788.

Interpreting the HIN as follows:

BWC = the manufacturer identity code (MIC) for Boston Whaler;

M1036 = the five character production sequence identifier [See comments in my post below regarding the use of this code for 13-foot hulls--jimh]

5 = bad character; this field must contain a letter that indicates the month of product; digits are not allowed for this element of the HIN;

7 = a single digit indicating year of manufacture, in this case 1987;

88 = the model year designation, in this case 1988.

The HIN BWC M1036 57 88 cannot be properly parsed according to the format for the HIN in use in 1988.

[jimh]

Q2: what would a molded number look like?

The molded-in HIN appears as letters and numbers molded into the hull gel coat layer. The style of the letters and numbers is likely familiar to anyone who has used a DYMO Embossed Metal Tape Labeler.

Q3: Is [the location of a federal embossed HIN number] on the outside of the transom?

The HIN is on the outboard face of the transom.

Q4: [is the federal embossed HIN number in] any specific location?

Yes. The Code of Federal Regulations specifies the location at which the federal HIN must be displayed on the transom. Read the regulation as excerpted below:

33 CFR § 181.29 - Hull identification number display.

§ 181.29 Hull identification number display.
Two identical hull identification numbers are required to be displayed on each boat hull.

(a) The primary hull identification number must be affixed—

(1) On boats with transoms, to the starboard outboard side of the transom within two inches of the top of the transom, gunwale, or hull/deck joint, whichever is lowest...

(b) The duplicate hull identification number must be affixed in an unexposed location on the interior of the boat or beneath a fitting or item of hardware.

(c) Each hull identification number must be carved, burned, stamped, embossed, molded, bonded, or otherwise permanently affixed to the boat so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious. If the number is on a separate plate, the plate must be fastened in such a manner that its removal would normally cause some scarring of or damage to the surrounding hull area. A hull identification number must not be attached to parts of the boat that are removable.

(d) The characters of each hull identification number must be no less than one-fourth of an inch high

.
Cf.: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/181.29

[Kovar]

I mistook the letter S as a 5. The HIN on my form should be BWCM1036S788.
Thanks,
Sam

[jimh]

The production month coded as "S" does not work. Let me try again.

Note that I posted an earlier response rather early in the morning before coffee.

Upon further review, I note for 13-foot hulls the HIN production sequence number coding begins with a sequence of A1000 to A3999, then jump to B1000 to B3999, and continues in this pattern. This would allow the production sequence number to rise to M1000 to M3999. Your production sequence number is M1036 fits this pattern.

The basis for assumption that the sequence proceeds upwards to at least M1000 and beyond can be inferred from the comment that the sequence allows for unique identifiers for 54,000 13-foot hulls. Each letter prefix increment provides for 3,000-hulls to be identified. If you divide 54,000 by 3,000 you get 18. Counting letters in the alphabet, but omitting the letters "O" and "I" and "Q" to avoid confusion with zero, one, and zero, the sequence is implied to reach to at least U1000 to U3999. On that basis a production sequence number as M1036 would certainly be possible. The basis for this analysis is a drawing from Boston Whaler dated 1992, which is linked in the FAQ answer I mention above.

The new analysis of the HIN you were given as belonging to your 13-foot hull is now as follows:

BWC = the manufacturer identity code (MIC) for Boston Whaler;

M1036 = the five character production sequence identifier, indicative of a 13-foot hull.

5 or S = both "5" and "S" are not allowed as encodings of the month of production. I will speculate on what this character might have been, since we do not have any visual image of the HIN, and we are relying on something some unknown person wrote down some time in the past history of this boat.

In order for this HIN to be for a Boston Whaler 13-foot hull as a 1988 model but be build in 1987, the month of production would have to be in the range of JULY to DECEMBER, which are encoded as follows:

F = June
G = July
H = August
I = September
J = October
K = November
L = December

Looking at those possible letter characters, it seems like G could be confused for a "6". Perhaps someone wrote down "6" instead of "G" when they were transcribing the characters in the HIN. This also makes good sense because the earliest month a boat could be built as a 1988-model in the preceding year 1997 would be in July 1997. The other month codes, H-I-J-K-L, do not lend themselves for confusion, although perhaps an "I" could be read for a "one." But this field is REQUIRED to be alphabet characters, so anyone who was familiar with the HIN format would never record a numeral in this field.

7 = a single digit indicating year of manufacture, in this case 1987;

88 = the model year designation, in this case 1988.

As I explain above, I now think the HIN for your boat is actually

BWC M1036 [one of the letters G-H-I-J-K-L] 7 88

An embossed molded-in identification should be somewhere on the boat, unless for some reason the hull was damaged and was restored with new gel coat layers, and the original HIN was lost in the process, perhaps sanded off in the refinishing process or sprayed over enough to conceal the embossed characters which typically would make indentations in the hull.

[Kovar]

Thank you for your research. I really appreciate it. The [model designation] on the Johnson outboard, J30ELCCE, indicates a 1988 engine. Perhaps the engine is the original.

Figure 1 shows the boat and the engine.

Fig. 1. A 13-footer whose HIN is the topic of this discussion.

a13-footer.jpeg (45.96 KiB) Viewed 2823 times

--Sam

[jimh]

For help decoding OMC engine model designators, see my article in the REFERENCE section at

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... Codes.html

The encoded model year "CC" indicates 1988.

[jimh]

If you can post an image that shows the shape of the hull at the bow as seen head-on, the year of production could be further clarified.

[Kovar]

I received a speedy reply from Boston Whaler.

Hi Samual

Thank you for reaching out to us. Unfortunately, the records, schematics, and details from many boats that are non-current and out of production are very limited.

However, using the stencil ID number you provided, I was able to determine the the S in your HIN should be an F (BWCM1036F788). Hull ID numbers of this age will not populate in our system, but the HIN should correct if you switch the S to an F. The boat is a 1988 model year 13 SPORT.

They also suggested continuuousWave.com as a resource.

Fig. 2. A screen capture of an email from Boston Whaler as viewed the email recipient's email mail reading application on a mobile device.

reply.jpg (38.73 KiB) Viewed 2596 times

[jimh]

Changing the HIN to BWCM1036F788 indicates the production month was June 1987. The Boston Whaler factory must have switched to building the 1988 model-year boats earlier that usual that year.

The confusion between the letters F and S must have occurred when someone copied the HIN verbally as read to them by someone else. It would be very odd that someone would visually mistake a written letter F as the letter S.

To hear that Boston Whaler customer service was able to help in this situation is very encouraging.

[Kovar]

My last name begins with an S. When spelling my name on the phone, I often get correspondence spelled with an F instead of a S.

[jimh]

The removal of a thin metal tag does not cause permanent scarring of the hull. The change in the rule in 1983 was intended to improve the durability and integrity of the federal hull identification number and its method of indicating the number on the hull in a permanent manner.

[msteinkampf]

I suspect your opinion is shared by some other boat manufacturers. Of the 20 or so brands of fiberglass boats that I looked at on Boat Trader, only one (Ranger) uses metal tags for their HINs. I did see three brands of aluminum boats with metal tags, though.

M