BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN Decoder — MIC ELY
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with ELY were assigned by the US Coast Guard to BEST BOAT CO INC THE of LAGRANGE, KY. The company is recorded as out of business since 2000 — 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
ELY
Location
LAGRANGE, KY
In business
since 1996
Status
Out of business (2000)
BEST BOAT CO INC THE hulls (1996–2000) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
How a BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN breaks down
A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example ELY45678D424 (illustrative):
| Characters | Segment | In example | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Manufacturer (MIC) | ELY | Identifies BEST BOAT CO INC THE, assigned by the US Coast Guard. |
| 4–8 | Hull serial number | 45678 | BEST BOAT CO INC THE's own production number for the specific hull (the letters I, O, Q are never used). |
| 9 | Certification month | D | Month built — A=January … L=December (D = April). |
| 10 | Certification year | 4 | Last digit of the certification year. |
| 11–12 | Model year | 24 | The boat’s model year. |
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
Buying this BEST BOAT CO INC THE? Check it before you pay.
BEST BOAT CO INC THE is recorded out of business (2000) — 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
BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN FAQ
What does a BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "ELY" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to BEST BOAT CO INC THE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. BEST BOAT CO INC THE hulls (1996–2000) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is BEST BOAT CO INC THE still in business?
USCG records list BEST BOAT CO INC THE as out of business since 2000. 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 BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. BEST BOAT CO INC THE hulls (1996–2000) 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.
Where is the HIN on a BEST BOAT CO INC THE 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 "ELY" MIC the same as a BEST BOAT CO INC THE serial number?
No. "ELY" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies BEST BOAT CO INC THE. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: BEST BOAT CO INC THE'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 BEST BOAT CO INC THE 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 BEST BOAT CO INC THE records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.
Other builders in KY
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, "BEST BOAT CO INC THE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ely, last verified 2026-06-15.