SHEARWATER YACHT SALES HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with HWV were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SHEARWATER YACHT SALES of PALM BEACH GDNS, FL. 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
HWV
Location
PALM BEACH GDNS, FL
In business
since 1986
Status
Out of business (1989)
SHEARWATER YACHT SALES hulls (1986–1989) 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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SHEARWATER YACHT SALES HIN FAQ
What does a SHEARWATER YACHT SALES HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "HWV" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SHEARWATER YACHT SALES — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SHEARWATER YACHT SALES hulls (1986–1989) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is SHEARWATER YACHT SALES still in business?
USCG records list SHEARWATER YACHT SALES 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 SHEARWATER YACHT SALES HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SHEARWATER YACHT SALES hulls (1986–1989) 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 FL
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SHEARWATER YACHT SALES HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/hwv, last verified 2026-06-12.