ESSEX SHIPYARD INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with ESH were assigned by the US Coast Guard to ESSEX SHIPYARD INC of ESSEX, MA. The company is recorded as out of business since 2002 — 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
ESH
Location
ESSEX, MA
In business
since 1985
Status
Out of business (2002)
ESSEX SHIPYARD INC hulls (1985–2002) 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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ESSEX SHIPYARD INC HIN FAQ
What does a ESSEX SHIPYARD INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "ESH" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to ESSEX SHIPYARD INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. ESSEX SHIPYARD INC hulls (1985–2002) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is ESSEX SHIPYARD INC still in business?
USCG records list ESSEX SHIPYARD INC as out of business since 2002. 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 ESSEX SHIPYARD INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. ESSEX SHIPYARD INC hulls (1985–2002) 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, "ESSEX SHIPYARD INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/esh, last verified 2026-06-12.