SEA BEAR INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with VBI were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SEA BEAR INC of TRINITY, TX. 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
VBI
Location
TRINITY, TX
In business
since 1987
Status
Out of business (1989)
SEA BEAR INC 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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SEA BEAR INC HIN FAQ
What does a SEA BEAR INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "VBI" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SEA BEAR INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SEA BEAR INC 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 SEA BEAR INC still in business?
USCG records list SEA BEAR INC 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 SEA BEAR INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SEA BEAR INC 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 TX
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SEA BEAR INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/vbi, last verified 2026-06-12.