HARBOR CRAFT HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with HBQ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to HARBOR CRAFT of ELKHART, IN. The company is recorded as out of business since 1989 — 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
HBQ
Location
ELKHART, IN
In business
since 1981
Status
Out of business (1989)
Parent company
HOLIDAY RAMBLER CORP
HARBOR CRAFT built hulls across both HIN eras (1981–1989): 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.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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HARBOR CRAFT HIN FAQ
What does a HARBOR CRAFT HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "HBQ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to HARBOR CRAFT — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. HARBOR CRAFT built hulls across both HIN eras (1981–1989): 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 HARBOR CRAFT still in business?
USCG records list HARBOR CRAFT as out of business since 1989 (associated with HOLIDAY RAMBLER CORP). 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 HARBOR CRAFT HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. HARBOR CRAFT built hulls across both HIN eras (1981–1989): 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.
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Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "HARBOR CRAFT HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/hbq, last verified 2026-06-12.