ARTIC ARC WELDING HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with AKQ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to ARTIC ARC WELDING of KOTZEBUE, AK. The company is recorded as out of business since 2007 — 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
AKQ
Location
KOTZEBUE, AK
In business
since 1987
Status
Out of business (2007)
ARTIC ARC WELDING hulls (1987–2007) 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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ARTIC ARC WELDING HIN FAQ
What does a ARTIC ARC WELDING HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "AKQ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to ARTIC ARC WELDING — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. ARTIC ARC WELDING hulls (1987–2007) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is ARTIC ARC WELDING still in business?
USCG records list ARTIC ARC WELDING as out of business since 2007. 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 ARTIC ARC WELDING HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. ARTIC ARC WELDING hulls (1987–2007) 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 AK
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "ARTIC ARC WELDING HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/akq, last verified 2026-06-12.