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I have a 16 COHASSET with [stenciled number] 3A5374.

[Inferred Question] Q1: Can the model and year be deduced from the stencil number?

I believe the boat is a 1973 model. I believe the model is a COHASSET II.

Input on year and model will be greatly appreciated

ASIDE:[I] just joined the forum [and this is my] first post.

For the 16-foot hulls prior to 1972 the year of production can only be determined in an approximate basis from the stencil number. In the REFERENCE section of the website--and by the way the website is not just this forum, it is a much larger collection of information--in the REFERENCE ARTICLE on the 16/17-foot hull you will find a table that lists the approximate year of production for certain ranges of stencil numbers.

Inspecting the table for a stencil number of 3A5374 suggests the boat was made in 1972, as the table cites 3A6700 as the highest stencil number that year. A boat made in 1972 could easily be a 1973 model year, if the boat were made after about June 30, 1972, a typical model-changeover epoch.

While the Stencil Number is a hull identification number, we do not refer to the Stencil Number as a "HIN". The term "HIN" is reserved for the federal hull identification number that became mandatory in c.1972.

To learn more about the stencil number and HIN and what information is encoded in them, read the Frequently Asked Questions article in the REFERENCE section. Your question about the age of the boat is actually the oldest FAQ question.

Here are some hyperlinks:

The REFERENCE SECTION: https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/

The FAQ: https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/

The REFERENCE ARTICLE on 16/17-foot Hulls: https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/

Regarding the model designator, the COHASSET II model will have a reversible pilot seat (RPS) instead of individual pedestal seats.

Q2: what is the color of the gel coat resin in the cockpit of your boat?

Also, typically only Boston Whaler boats that were made after November 1972 would have a federal hull identification number (HIN) attached. The initial method of providing a HIN was to use an embossed metal tag and attach the tag at each end with a pop rivet into the hull on the outboard face of the transom about two-inches below the gunwale on the starboard side.

In the case of a c.1972 boat today, the metal tag would need to have endured 50-years of boating. For the metal tag to have become lost is nothing unusual. The only remnant of the tag may be two small rivet holes about four or five inches apart on the transom where the tag was once located.

If new to the website, please read the entire FAQ. It will answer many basic questions about Boston Whaler boats. There are also extensive archives of prior discussions going back about 20 years. These can be searched by keyword from a site search page at

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/search.html

A search with well chosen keywords will usually find interesting information on the topic.

ASIDE: Articles in the forum are not charged by the word, so there is no need to compose as if sending a telegram to Pitcairn Island and trying to keep the cost down.

Thanks for your very thorough response. The gel coat color is off-white. It does have an RPS.

I am a former owner of a 1972 Cohasset II with hull stencil 3A5822. According to Boston Whaler archives, it left Rockland, Mass plant on April 27, 1972. Since your boat's hull stencil is sequentially before that, I would speculate you have a 1972 model and it would not require a full HIN to register.

SUPERDAVE--Thank you. I read all of your threads yesterday and had the same thought.

That the COHASSET II boat does not have a blue gel coat interior is very interesting. Perhaps at that time in production, there was a choice for gel coat color for the deck.

SUPERDAVE--what is the cockpit gel coat color on your COHASSET ?

The original owner that I purchased from told me he thought [this c.1972 COHASSET II} was one of the first off-white interior hulls that Boston Whaler made.

[This c.1972 COHASSET II] also has a molded fiberglass bow storage area lid.

[A new topic with a new question has been separated to its own thread for discussion; this thread remain on the topic of identification of a boat's year and model from the stencil number and other distinguishing characteristics.]

Hey Jim— the cockpit gel was the off white. I am not aware of any blue Cohasset hull interiors. It’s a great boat. I would rather have a Cohasset than any other 16/17 footer that predates the Montauk 170 in the 2000s (apologies to fans of the smirk!).