ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN Decoder — MIC CKT

Hull Identification Numbers beginning with CKT were assigned by the US Coast Guard to ORANGE COUNTY MARINE of FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA. The company is recorded as out of business since 1997 — 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

CKT

Location

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA

In business

since 1978

Status

Out of business (1997)

ORANGE COUNTY MARINE built hulls across both HIN eras (1978–1997): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.

How a ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN breaks down

A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example CKT45678D424 (illustrative):

CharactersSegmentIn exampleWhat it identifies
1–3Manufacturer (MIC)CKTIdentifies ORANGE COUNTY MARINE, assigned by the US Coast Guard.
4–8Hull serial number45678ORANGE COUNTY MARINE's own production number for the specific hull (the letters I, O, Q are never used).
9Certification monthDMonth built — A=January … L=December (D = April).
10Certification year4Last digit of the certification year.
11–12Model year24The boat’s model year.

Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner

Buying this ORANGE COUNTY MARINE? Check it before you pay.

ORANGE COUNTY MARINE is recorded out of business (1997) — which affects recalls, parts support, and resale. The $9.99 Boat Report adds the full CPSC marine-recall check, a HIN consistency check, a verify-before-you-buy checklist, and the USCG builder record for this hull — one downloadable report, one-time, no subscription. See what's included

ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN FAQ

What does a ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN look like?

It starts with the three characters "CKT" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to ORANGE COUNTY MARINE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. ORANGE COUNTY MARINE built hulls across both HIN eras (1978–1997): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.

Is ORANGE COUNTY MARINE still in business?

USCG records list ORANGE COUNTY MARINE as out of business since 1997. 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 ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN?

On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. ORANGE COUNTY MARINE built hulls across both HIN eras (1978–1997): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.

Where is the HIN on a ORANGE COUNTY MARINE boat?

On the outside upper-starboard (right) corner of the transom, within two inches of the top — required by 33 CFR 181.29. Since August 1984 an identical duplicate HIN is also molded into an unexposed interior location as an anti-theft measure. Both should match the title, registration, and insurance card exactly.

Is the "CKT" MIC the same as a ORANGE COUNTY MARINE serial number?

No. "CKT" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies ORANGE COUNTY MARINE. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: ORANGE COUNTY MARINE's own production number for that specific boat (the letters I, O, and Q are never used). The full 12-character HIN combines the MIC, the serial, and the date code.

Can a ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN tell me the exact model?

Not on its own. A HIN encodes the builder, hull serial, certification month/year, and model year — not the model name or length. Match the decoded year and serial against ORANGE COUNTY MARINE records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.

Other builders in CA

Sources: verified against the USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C. Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere. Cite this page: CarWhere, "ORANGE COUNTY MARINE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ckt, last verified 2026-06-15.