BACKWATER BOATS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with NLB were assigned by the US Coast Guard to BACKWATER BOATS of ST PETERSBURG, 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
NLB
Location
ST PETERSBURG, FL
In business
since 1987
Status
Out of business (1989)
BACKWATER BOATS hulls (1987–1989) 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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BACKWATER BOATS HIN FAQ
What does a BACKWATER BOATS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "NLB" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to BACKWATER BOATS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. BACKWATER BOATS hulls (1987–1989) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is BACKWATER BOATS still in business?
USCG records list BACKWATER BOATS 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 BACKWATER BOATS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. BACKWATER BOATS hulls (1987–1989) 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, "BACKWATER BOATS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/nlb, last verified 2026-06-12.