HINDERLAND CANOE HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with HCJ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to HINDERLAND CANOE of NORTHOME, MN. 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
HCJ
Location
NORTHOME, MN
In business
since 1983
Status
Out of business (1989)
HINDERLAND CANOE built hulls across both HIN eras (1983–1989): 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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HINDERLAND CANOE HIN FAQ
What does a HINDERLAND CANOE HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "HCJ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to HINDERLAND CANOE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. HINDERLAND CANOE built hulls across both HIN eras (1983–1989): 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 HINDERLAND CANOE still in business?
USCG records list HINDERLAND CANOE as out of business since 1989. 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 HINDERLAND CANOE HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. HINDERLAND CANOE built hulls across both HIN eras (1983–1989): 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.
Other builders in MN
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "HINDERLAND CANOE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/hcj, last verified 2026-06-12.