KAT MARINE HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with VHQ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to KAT MARINE of FREEPORT, TX. The company is recorded as out of business since 2010 — 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
VHQ
Location
FREEPORT, TX
In business
since 2005
Status
Out of business (2010)
KAT MARINE hulls (2005–2010) 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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KAT MARINE HIN FAQ
What does a KAT MARINE HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "VHQ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to KAT MARINE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. KAT MARINE hulls (2005–2010) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is KAT MARINE still in business?
USCG records list KAT MARINE as out of business since 2010. 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 KAT MARINE HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. KAT MARINE hulls (2005–2010) 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, "KAT MARINE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/vhq, last verified 2026-06-12.