BAD RIVER BOATWORKS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with BVI were assigned by the US Coast Guard to BAD RIVER BOATWORKS of BRANT, MI. The company is recorded as out of business since 2008 — 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
BVI
Location
BRANT, MI
In business
since 1986
Status
Out of business (2008)
BAD RIVER BOATWORKS hulls (1986–2008) 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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BAD RIVER BOATWORKS HIN FAQ
What does a BAD RIVER BOATWORKS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "BVI" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to BAD RIVER BOATWORKS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. BAD RIVER BOATWORKS hulls (1986–2008) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is BAD RIVER BOATWORKS still in business?
USCG records list BAD RIVER BOATWORKS as out of business since 2008. 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 BAD RIVER BOATWORKS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. BAD RIVER BOATWORKS hulls (1986–2008) 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 MI
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "BAD RIVER BOATWORKS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/bvi, last verified 2026-06-12.