Identify SENTRY from HIN and Photographs

[pcloward]

Please help me identify a boat at auction that claims to be a Boston Whaler, but has the following HIN:

BSCYA431K697

A search of this HIN says [this three letter code BSC indicates the boat] was manufactured by BOATSMITH.

The hull [seen below in Figures 1, 2, and 3] looks like [a Boston Whaler boat] , but other features on the deck look different.

Fig. 1. A boat whose manufacturer is to be identified from this photograph.

8427_12_11.jpg (44.62 KiB) Viewed 758 times

Fig. 2. A boat whose manufacturer is to be identified from this photograph.

8427_12_16.jpg (44.12 KiB) Viewed 758 times

d

Fig. 3. A boat whose manufacturer is to be identified from this photograph.

8427_12_14.jpg (43.55 KiB) Viewed 758 times

Q1: what is your opinion of the manufacturer and model of the boat seen below?

[jimh]

From the three photographs the boat certainly looks like it was made by Boston Whaler and could be a SENTRY model.

Q2: do you have a photograph that is clear and high resolution that shows the actual HIN on the boat transom?

I suspect that somewhere in the process of this boat's ownership and transfer to an auction website, the HIN number that you give is not correct.

The Manufacturer Identity Code (MIC) for Boston Whaler is BWC. In the period c.1997, when Boston Whaler made a commercial or government hull, they still used the MIC code BWC. On or about July 20, 2001, a commercial or government hull made by Boston Whaler would typically have been provided with a HIN in which the MIC was WCG for Whaler Commercial Group. If the claim that the boat at auction is a 1997 model, then it would have typically had a MIC as BWC. The avowal that the boat's HIN begins BSC is very unusual.

The hull [seen below in Figures 1, 2, and 3] looks like [a Boston Whaler boat] , but other features on the deck look different.

I do not agree with this judgement. The boat looks very much like a product of Boston Whaler. Other than this deviation in the HIN, the rest of the boat just screams Boston Whaler Commercial or Government Products division as the manufacturer.

[jimh]

Regarding the HIN number as

BSCYA431K697

This is the so-called NEW FORMAT that was mandatory after Auguest 1984

I will interpret the HIN as follows:

BSC = the manufacturer's identity code.

As already mentioned, the expectation would be for the MIC to be BWC. That the HIN is BSC and resolves to BOATSMITH INC, located in Jupiter Florida, seems rather unusual. Looking at some examples of the boats built by BOATSMITH, they are all sailing yachts, and all catamarans. On this basis, I would have zero confidence in asserting this boat was made by BOATSMITH.


Cf.: https://www.boatsmithfl.com

YA431 = five character production sequence number; this fits the format required.

K = the month of production, where K is the symbol for November

6 = the last digit of the year of production, in this case 1996

97 = the last two digits of the model year, in this case 1997. A boat made by Boston Whaler in November 1996 would be sold as a 1997 model year boat.

Regarding the five character production sequence number, Boston Whaler has provided information to help decode these characters. In the case of the sequence number

YA431

the two-letter prefix “YA” for the production number was used by Boston Whaler in the epoch 1996 to 1998 for hulls molded as an 20 OUTRAGE. The “431” is likely to be the production sequence number, that is, this was 431st hull produced from the 20 OUTRAGE mold. A boat being sold as a 1997 20 SENTRY would have been made using the hull mold for a 1997 20 OUTRAGE

Based on the correspondence of the production sequence number coding, and based on the appearance of the boat seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3, I strongly believe the boat was made by Boston Whaler.

All my deductions or interpretations of the HIN are based on the information that is provided in the FAQ article I have written regarding Boston Whaler hull identification numbers. The article appears in the REFERENCE section, in the article FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and the answers to them. You can confirm this interpretation for yourself by reading the article.

Q2: Where is the Hull Identification Number?
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q2

[pcloward]

Thank you. It is really cool to hear this level of knowledge on these boats. I appreciate your responses.

If I can find a higher resolution and larger image and zoom in [to show the HIN], I will update this thread.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge

Paul

[jimh]

If I can find a higher resolution and larger image and zoom in [to show the HIN], I will update this thread.

The HIN should be visible in Figure 2, but I doubt there is sufficient resolution in that image to show anything useful. Actually, the HIN is really not seen at all in that image, which is strange.

[jimh]

Also, the hull was NOT properly prepared for continual immersion in the water. The hull should have been given a barrier coat and perhaps an anti-fouling coat to protect the gel coat resin from intrusion of water and attachment of marine growth.

The hull stains from the water may be able to be removed using a hull cleaner. A popular hull cleaner is MARYKATE ON & OFF HULL & BOTTOM CLEANER.

If you use the above cleaner while the boat is on a trailer, be certain to wet down the trailer with plenty of water and to immediately rinse off any of the cleaner that drips onto the trailer. The cleaner will tend to harm galvanizing and aluminum.