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Author Topic:   Serial numbers

Corunna373 posted 05-31-2003 09:32 AM ET (US)
I have two sets of numbers on my whaler but they dont match up to the web site info on registration.
The stencilled number is 3A8624
The tag number is BWA 7345 m 741
Can anyone help me with when this boat was made.
Thanks.
stagalv posted 05-31-2003 09:37 AM ET (US)
Welcome to the site! As for the hull number could you give us a clue. It is a 13' or which model Whaler? Any idea of the age?
Tom W Clark posted 05-31-2003 10:23 AM ET (US)
Corunna373,
You have a Desert Tan 16'-7" hull that is a 1974 model.
The Hull Identification Number (HIN) or "tag" is most likely BWCA7345M74I, the the capital letter "I" (not the number 1) indicates April as the month of manufacture. The HIN does not explicitly indicate what year the boat was manufactured, but we can usually assume that if the month was April, the model year and manufacture year are the same.
Thus your boat was made in April of 1974 as a 1974 model.
You may confirm this information and get a description of exactly what model it was and where the boat was originally shipped by contacting Boston Whaler customer service with the serial number and HIN and they can look up those numbers in their records. By email, try: cbennett@whaler.com
For a comparison chart of serial numbers and HINs for the Montauk version of the 16'-7" hull see: http://www.sisqtel.net/~jkriz/drawings/montauk-hin.html
For more information on HINs see: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/
and
http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/Articles/Feb00/hull_identification.htm
BugsyG posted 05-31-2003 10:24 AM ET (US)
Corunna,
The number 3A8624, It is a 13 [WRONG], A = the first series it was avaiable [WRONG]....and the 8624 I am not that quite sure of. I am sure that your boat is a 1974 too. [THIS CANNOT BE DEDUCED FROM THE STENCIL NUMBER. A TABLE OR CHART WHICH LINKS STENCIL NUMBERS TO MODEL YEARS MUST BE CONSULTED.]
For more information, please contact whaler online. [THERE IS NO ONLINE LISTING OR INTERACTIVE HIN DECODING AT THE BOSTON WHALER WEBSITE. YOU MUST CONTACT WHALER BY MAIL, EMAIL, OR TELEPHONE TO GET HELP WITH DECODING A STENCIL NUMBER. IT CANNOT BE DONE "online".]Thank you [NO, THANK YOU]
JAZZ
[NOTE: almost all of the the information in this post is incorrect and I thought it best to make note of that so that others were not misguided by its misinformation. --jimh, Moderator]
jimh posted 05-31-2003 11:44 AM ET (US)
Joe/Bugsy/JAZZ/FAN-MAIL,
Can you please elaborate on your technique to decipher the stencil number into model information.
I don't recall ever seeing a listing or key to decoding the stencil number into a particular model and year.
Please let us in on your secret.
Corunna373 posted 05-31-2003 02:48 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the information. I have submitted the numbers to BWCA for any additional info they may have.
jimh posted 05-31-2003 03:22 PM ET (US)
You could say that your stencil numbers did not match up to the information on the website because there is very little information on the website about decoding stencil numbers. Just a few stencil numbers are listed for the 13 and 16 foot models.
As far as I know, and as I state in the FAQ,
"Decoding the stenciled hull number depends on reference to Whaler's internal records."
Apparently now some individuals are able to decode the stenciled hull numbers, too, but I am awaiting confirmation of that. Personally, I don't think there is any reliable way to decode the stencil number short of contacting Chuck Bennett at Boston Whaler.
Also, I assume you mean to refer to the Boston Whaler company when you say you are contacting "BWCA". This is a bit confusing. The proper code for the Boston Whaler company in HIN's is BWC.
I don't recall seeing the Boston Whaler company referred to using the abbreviation "BWCA" anywhere else. A google search for "BWCA" turns up a zillion references to Boundary Water Canoe Association and no mention of that abbreviation as "Boston Whaler".
In general, I strongly suggest avoiding inventing new abbreviations for things-Whaler, as it often leads to substantial confusion.
jimh posted 05-31-2003 03:35 PM ET (US)
I would be very interested to know if your boat is a 13-foot hull or a 16-foot hull.
In the nice list created by Joe Kriz (see link above) there are many 16-foot hulls with stencil numbers close to yours.
I am quite surprised that according to Joe/Bugsy/JAZZ/FAN-MAIL you have a 13-foot hull with a stencil number in that range.
I think the length is fairly easy to determine, so can you please confirm what the length of the hull is, 13-foot or 16-foot?
whalersman posted 05-31-2003 04:55 PM ET (US)
From the Reference/FAQ section on this site, and from the information and research I have been gathering, I believe that a Stencil Number that begins with a 3, 3A, 3B, etc. designates a 16/17 foot hull up until 1996 when Boston Whaler stopped using the Stenciled number. According to Chuck Bennett, the Stenciled number was no longer used in 1996 and later models.
Corunna's numbers do fit in to the information on the list that I have compiled. He fits in between Barry and Buzzorouter. From this information, I would assume that it is a 16/17 foot hull, and it is Smirkless, and that it was built in early 1974 as a 1974 year model. I don't think we can assume it is a Montauk although it may well be.
Corunna373,
Let us know what boat you think you have..
doobee posted 06-01-2003 12:46 AM ET (US)
Up until the mid 90's, 13' hull serial numbers started with the number 2. 16'7" hulls begin with the number 3. 18'6" hulls start with A5.
The serial numbers on earlier hulls did not have letters, but eventually, they started producing so many hulls, the letter was added to keep the serial number reasonably small. Each letter represents 9,999 hulls.
There is no corelation between the serial number and the HIN. However, Whaler has them matched up in a database so if your HIN has become unreadable, Whaler can look it up if you give them your serial number.
Corunna373 posted 06-16-2003 11:02 PM ET (US)
Ok everyone, here is the scoop directly from the factory.
My boat is a 16'7" Currituck model and was originally sent to Grand River Marine in Farmington, MI on 4/30/74.
Thanks for all the help from everyone.
Terry
timbaho posted 06-17-2003 08:45 AM ET (US)
Tom W. Clark
Thanks for being such an accurate information source on this site. Kevin
jimh posted 06-17-2003 10:12 AM ET (US)
[Administrative Post]

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Author	Topic: Serial numbers
Corunna373	posted 05-31-2003 09:32 AM ET (US) I have two sets of numbers on my whaler but they dont match up to the web site info on registration. The stencilled number is 3A8624 The tag number is BWA 7345 m 741 Can anyone help me with when this boat was made. Thanks.
stagalv	posted 05-31-2003 09:37 AM ET (US) Welcome to the site! As for the hull number could you give us a clue. It is a 13' or which model Whaler? Any idea of the age?
Tom W Clark	posted 05-31-2003 10:23 AM ET (US) Corunna373, You have a Desert Tan 16'-7" hull that is a 1974 model. The Hull Identification Number (HIN) or "tag" is most likely BWCA7345M74I, the the capital letter "I" (not the number 1) indicates April as the month of manufacture. The HIN does not explicitly indicate what year the boat was manufactured, but we can usually assume that if the month was April, the model year and manufacture year are the same. Thus your boat was made in April of 1974 as a 1974 model. You may confirm this information and get a description of exactly what model it was and where the boat was originally shipped by contacting Boston Whaler customer service with the serial number and HIN and they can look up those numbers in their records. By email, try: cbennett@whaler.com For a comparison chart of serial numbers and HINs for the Montauk version of the 16'-7" hull see: http://www.sisqtel.net/~jkriz/drawings/montauk-hin.html For more information on HINs see: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/ and http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/Articles/Feb00/hull_identification.htm
BugsyG	posted 05-31-2003 10:24 AM ET (US) Corunna, The number 3A8624, It is a 13 [WRONG], A = the first series it was avaiable [WRONG]....and the 8624 I am not that quite sure of. I am sure that your boat is a 1974 too. [THIS CANNOT BE DEDUCED FROM THE STENCIL NUMBER. A TABLE OR CHART WHICH LINKS STENCIL NUMBERS TO MODEL YEARS MUST BE CONSULTED.] For more information, please contact whaler online. [THERE IS NO ONLINE LISTING OR INTERACTIVE HIN DECODING AT THE BOSTON WHALER WEBSITE. YOU MUST CONTACT WHALER BY MAIL, EMAIL, OR TELEPHONE TO GET HELP WITH DECODING A STENCIL NUMBER. IT CANNOT BE DONE "online".]Thank you [NO, THANK YOU] JAZZ [NOTE: almost all of the the information in this post is incorrect and I thought it best to make note of that so that others were not misguided by its misinformation. --jimh, Moderator]
jimh	posted 05-31-2003 11:44 AM ET (US) Joe/Bugsy/JAZZ/FAN-MAIL, Can you please elaborate on your technique to decipher the stencil number into model information. I don't recall ever seeing a listing or key to decoding the stencil number into a particular model and year. Please let us in on your secret.
Corunna373	posted 05-31-2003 02:48 PM ET (US) Thanks for the information. I have submitted the numbers to BWCA for any additional info they may have.
jimh	posted 05-31-2003 03:22 PM ET (US) You could say that your stencil numbers did not match up to the information on the website because there is very little information on the website about decoding stencil numbers. Just a few stencil numbers are listed for the 13 and 16 foot models. As far as I know, and as I state in the FAQ, "Decoding the stenciled hull number depends on reference to Whaler's internal records." Apparently now some individuals are able to decode the stenciled hull numbers, too, but I am awaiting confirmation of that. Personally, I don't think there is any reliable way to decode the stencil number short of contacting Chuck Bennett at Boston Whaler. Also, I assume you mean to refer to the Boston Whaler company when you say you are contacting "BWCA". This is a bit confusing. The proper code for the Boston Whaler company in HIN's is BWC. I don't recall seeing the Boston Whaler company referred to using the abbreviation "BWCA" anywhere else. A google search for "BWCA" turns up a zillion references to Boundary Water Canoe Association and no mention of that abbreviation as "Boston Whaler". In general, I strongly suggest avoiding inventing new abbreviations for things-Whaler, as it often leads to substantial confusion.
jimh	posted 05-31-2003 03:35 PM ET (US) I would be very interested to know if your boat is a 13-foot hull or a 16-foot hull. In the nice list created by Joe Kriz (see link above) there are many 16-foot hulls with stencil numbers close to yours. I am quite surprised that according to Joe/Bugsy/JAZZ/FAN-MAIL you have a 13-foot hull with a stencil number in that range. I think the length is fairly easy to determine, so can you please confirm what the length of the hull is, 13-foot or 16-foot?
whalersman	posted 05-31-2003 04:55 PM ET (US) From the Reference/FAQ section on this site, and from the information and research I have been gathering, I believe that a Stencil Number that begins with a 3, 3A, 3B, etc. designates a 16/17 foot hull up until 1996 when Boston Whaler stopped using the Stenciled number. According to Chuck Bennett, the Stenciled number was no longer used in 1996 and later models. Corunna's numbers do fit in to the information on the list that I have compiled. He fits in between Barry and Buzzorouter. From this information, I would assume that it is a 16/17 foot hull, and it is Smirkless, and that it was built in early 1974 as a 1974 year model. I don't think we can assume it is a Montauk although it may well be. Corunna373, Let us know what boat you think you have..
doobee	posted 06-01-2003 12:46 AM ET (US) Up until the mid 90's, 13' hull serial numbers started with the number 2. 16'7" hulls begin with the number 3. 18'6" hulls start with A5. The serial numbers on earlier hulls did not have letters, but eventually, they started producing so many hulls, the letter was added to keep the serial number reasonably small. Each letter represents 9,999 hulls. There is no corelation between the serial number and the HIN. However, Whaler has them matched up in a database so if your HIN has become unreadable, Whaler can look it up if you give them your serial number.
Corunna373	posted 06-16-2003 11:02 PM ET (US) Ok everyone, here is the scoop directly from the factory. My boat is a 16'7" Currituck model and was originally sent to Grand River Marine in Farmington, MI on 4/30/74. Thanks for all the help from everyone. Terry
timbaho	posted 06-17-2003 08:45 AM ET (US) Tom W. Clark Thanks for being such an accurate information source on this site. Kevin
jimh	posted 06-17-2003 10:12 AM ET (US) [Administrative Post]