JOHN R BASS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with JRU were assigned by the US Coast Guard to JOHN R BASS of SPRING HOPE, NC. The company is recorded as out of business since 1990 — 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
JRU
Location
SPRING HOPE, NC
In business
since 1986
Status
Out of business (1990)
JOHN R BASS hulls (1986–1990) 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
The optional $19.99 Boat History Report adds stolen-boat, salvage/auction, incident, and USCG documentation checks — one-time, no subscription (typical boat-history services charge $25+).
JOHN R BASS HIN FAQ
What does a JOHN R BASS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "JRU" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to JOHN R BASS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. JOHN R BASS hulls (1986–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is JOHN R BASS still in business?
USCG records list JOHN R BASS as out of business since 1990. 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 JOHN R BASS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. JOHN R BASS hulls (1986–1990) 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 NC
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "JOHN R BASS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/jru, last verified 2026-06-12.