BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with BKU were assigned by the US Coast Guard to BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED of ARLINGTON, WA. The company is recorded as out of business since 1982 — 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
BKU
Location
ARLINGTON, WA
In business
since 1979
Status
Out of business (1982)
BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED hulls (1979–1982) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED HIN FAQ
What does a BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "BKU" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED hulls (1979–1982) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Is BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED still in business?
USCG records list BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED as out of business since 1982. 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 BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED hulls (1979–1982) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in WA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "BACK COUNTRY UNLIMITED HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/bku, last verified 2026-06-12.