KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with KBO were assigned by the US Coast Guard to KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS of SILVERHILL, AL. The company is recorded as out of business since 1981 — 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
KBO
Location
SILVERHILL, AL
In business
since 1981
Status
Out of business (1981)
KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS hulls (1981–1981) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS HIN FAQ
What does a KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "KBO" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS hulls (1981–1981) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Is KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS still in business?
USCG records list KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS as out of business since 1981. 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 KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS hulls (1981–1981) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in AL
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "KENNEDY BOAT BUILDERS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/kbo, last verified 2026-06-12.