CATALINA YACHTS HIN Decoder — MIC CTY

Hull Identification Numbers beginning with CTY were assigned by the US Coast Guard to CATALINA YACHTS of LARGO, FL. The builder is listed in the USCG MIC database. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.

MIC

CTY

Location

LARGO, FL

In business

since 1972

Status

Listed active in USCG records

CATALINA YACHTS built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): 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 CATALINA YACHTS HIN breaks down

A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example CTY45678D424 (illustrative):

CharactersSegmentIn exampleWhat it identifies
1–3Manufacturer (MIC)CTYIdentifies CATALINA YACHTS, assigned by the US Coast Guard.
4–8Hull serial number45678CATALINA YACHTS'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 CATALINA YACHTS? Check it before you pay.

Decoding the HIN confirms the year and serial, but not the safety record. 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

CATALINA YACHTS HIN FAQ

What does a CATALINA YACHTS HIN look like?

It starts with the three characters "CTY" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to CATALINA YACHTS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. CATALINA YACHTS built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): 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 CATALINA YACHTS still in business?

USCG records list CATALINA YACHTS of LARGO, FL in the MIC database (registered 1972).

How do I decode the year on a CATALINA YACHTS HIN?

On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. CATALINA YACHTS built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): 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 CATALINA YACHTS 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 "CTY" MIC the same as a CATALINA YACHTS serial number?

No. "CTY" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies CATALINA YACHTS. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: CATALINA YACHTS'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 CATALINA YACHTS 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 CATALINA YACHTS records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.

Other builders in FL

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, "CATALINA YACHTS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/cty, last verified 2026-06-15.