POTOMAC STAR MARINE HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with PQU were assigned by the US Coast Guard to POTOMAC STAR MARINE of SHADY SIDE, MD. The company is recorded as out of business since 2002 — 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
PQU
Location
SHADY SIDE, MD
In business
since 1998
Status
Out of business (2002)
POTOMAC STAR MARINE hulls (1998–2002) 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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POTOMAC STAR MARINE HIN FAQ
What does a POTOMAC STAR MARINE HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "PQU" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to POTOMAC STAR MARINE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. POTOMAC STAR MARINE hulls (1998–2002) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is POTOMAC STAR MARINE still in business?
USCG records list POTOMAC STAR MARINE as out of business since 2002. 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 POTOMAC STAR MARINE HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. POTOMAC STAR MARINE hulls (1998–2002) 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 MD
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "POTOMAC STAR MARINE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/pqu, last verified 2026-06-12.