SAPO HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with AHZ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SAPO of TEWKSBURY, MA. The company is recorded as out of business since 1990 — common for older hulls, and useful to know when hunting parts or records. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
AHZ
Location
TEWKSBURY, MA
In business
since 1987
Status
Out of business (1990)
SAPO hulls (1987–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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SAPO HIN FAQ
What does a SAPO HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "AHZ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SAPO — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SAPO hulls (1987–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is SAPO still in business?
USCG records list SAPO as out of business since 1990. That's common for older hulls — the HIN still decodes normally, and the out-of-business date helps date the boat and guides parts-hunting toward salvage and owner groups rather than a dealer network.
How do I decode the year on a SAPO HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SAPO hulls (1987–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in MA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SAPO HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ahz, last verified 2026-06-12.