SUN CHASER HIN Decoder

Hull Identification Numbers beginning with NCR were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SUN CHASER of ELKHART, IN. 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

NCR

Location

ELKHART, IN

In business

since 1984

Status

Out of business (1989)

Parent company

SMOKER CRAFT

SUN CHASER built hulls across both HIN eras (1984–1989): 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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SUN CHASER HIN FAQ

What does a SUN CHASER HIN look like?

It starts with the three characters "NCR" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SUN CHASER — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SUN CHASER built hulls across both HIN eras (1984–1989): 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 SUN CHASER still in business?

USCG records list SUN CHASER as out of business since 1989 (associated with SMOKER CRAFT). 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 SUN CHASER HIN?

On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SUN CHASER built hulls across both HIN eras (1984–1989): 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 IN

Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SUN CHASER HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ncr, last verified 2026-06-12.