MID OCEAN BOATS HIN Decoder — MIC MQH
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with MQH were assigned by the US Coast Guard to MID OCEAN BOATS of OPA LOCKA, FL. The company is recorded as out of business since 1988 — 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
MQH
Location
OPA LOCKA, FL
In business
since 1986
Status
Out of business (1988)
Parent company
MID OCEAN INC
MID OCEAN BOATS hulls (1986–1988) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
How a MID OCEAN BOATS HIN breaks down
A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example MQH45678D424 (illustrative):
| Characters | Segment | In example | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Manufacturer (MIC) | MQH | Identifies MID OCEAN BOATS, assigned by the US Coast Guard. |
| 4–8 | Hull serial number | 45678 | MID OCEAN BOATS's own production number for the specific hull (the letters I, O, Q are never used). |
| 9 | Certification month | D | Month built — A=January … L=December (D = April). |
| 10 | Certification year | 4 | Last digit of the certification year. |
| 11–12 | Model year | 24 | The boat’s model year. |
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
Buying this MID OCEAN BOATS? Check it before you pay.
MID OCEAN BOATS is recorded out of business (1988) — which affects recalls, parts support, and resale. The $9.99 Boat Report adds the full CPSC marine-recall check, a HIN consistency check, a verify-before-you-buy checklist, and the USCG builder record for this hull — one downloadable report, one-time, no subscription. See what's included
MID OCEAN BOATS HIN FAQ
What does a MID OCEAN BOATS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "MQH" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to MID OCEAN BOATS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. MID OCEAN BOATS hulls (1986–1988) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is MID OCEAN BOATS still in business?
USCG records list MID OCEAN BOATS as out of business since 1988 (associated with MID OCEAN INC). 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 MID OCEAN BOATS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. MID OCEAN BOATS hulls (1986–1988) 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.
Where is the HIN on a MID OCEAN BOATS boat?
On the outside upper-starboard (right) corner of the transom, within two inches of the top — required by 33 CFR 181.29. Since August 1984 an identical duplicate HIN is also molded into an unexposed interior location as an anti-theft measure. Both should match the title, registration, and insurance card exactly.
Is the "MQH" MIC the same as a MID OCEAN BOATS serial number?
No. "MQH" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies MID OCEAN BOATS. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: MID OCEAN BOATS's own production number for that specific boat (the letters I, O, and Q are never used). The full 12-character HIN combines the MIC, the serial, and the date code.
Can a MID OCEAN BOATS HIN tell me the exact model?
Not on its own. A HIN encodes the builder, hull serial, certification month/year, and model year — not the model name or length. Match the decoded year and serial against MID OCEAN BOATS records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.
Other builders in FL
Sources: verified against the USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C. Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere. Cite this page: CarWhere, "MID OCEAN BOATS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/mqh, last verified 2026-06-15.