E R BUTLER & SONS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with BUT were assigned by the US Coast Guard to E R BUTLER & SONS of MARBLEHEAD, MA. The company is recorded as out of business since 1999 — 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
BUT
Location
MARBLEHEAD, MA
In business
since 1991
Status
Out of business (1999)
E R BUTLER & SONS hulls (1991–1999) 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
The optional $19.99 Boat History Report adds stolen-boat, salvage/auction, incident, and USCG documentation checks — one-time, no subscription (typical boat-history services charge $25+).
E R BUTLER & SONS HIN FAQ
What does a E R BUTLER & SONS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "BUT" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to E R BUTLER & SONS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. E R BUTLER & SONS hulls (1991–1999) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is E R BUTLER & SONS still in business?
USCG records list E R BUTLER & SONS as out of business since 1999. 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 E R BUTLER & SONS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. E R BUTLER & SONS hulls (1991–1999) 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, "E R BUTLER & SONS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/but, last verified 2026-06-12.