ORCA WATERCRAFT INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with QOW were assigned by the US Coast Guard to ORCA WATERCRAFT INC of ATHOLVILLE, NB. The company is recorded as out of business since 2004 — 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
QOW
Location
ATHOLVILLE, NB
In business
since 2002
Status
Out of business (2004)
ORCA WATERCRAFT INC hulls (2002–2004) 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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ORCA WATERCRAFT INC HIN FAQ
What does a ORCA WATERCRAFT INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "QOW" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to ORCA WATERCRAFT INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. ORCA WATERCRAFT INC hulls (2002–2004) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is ORCA WATERCRAFT INC still in business?
USCG records list ORCA WATERCRAFT INC as out of business since 2004. 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 ORCA WATERCRAFT INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. ORCA WATERCRAFT INC hulls (2002–2004) 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 NB
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "ORCA WATERCRAFT INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/qow, last verified 2026-06-12.