BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with BJV were assigned by the US Coast Guard to BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC of RAVENNA, OH. The company is recorded as out of business since 2001 — 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
BJV
Location
RAVENNA, OH
In business
since 1986
Status
Out of business (2001)
BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC hulls (1986–2001) 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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BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC HIN FAQ
What does a BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "BJV" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC hulls (1986–2001) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC still in business?
USCG records list BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC as out of business since 2001. 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 BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC hulls (1986–2001) 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 OH
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "BROWNS BOAT WORKS INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/bjv, last verified 2026-06-12.