W.B. METAL WORKS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with VQK were assigned by the US Coast Guard to W.B. METAL WORKS of PIERRE PART, LA. The company is recorded as out of business since 2011 — 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
VQK
Location
PIERRE PART, LA
In business
since 2006
Status
Out of business (2011)
W.B. METAL WORKS hulls (2006–2011) 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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W.B. METAL WORKS HIN FAQ
What does a W.B. METAL WORKS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "VQK" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to W.B. METAL WORKS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. W.B. METAL WORKS hulls (2006–2011) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is W.B. METAL WORKS still in business?
USCG records list W.B. METAL WORKS as out of business since 2011. 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 W.B. METAL WORKS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. W.B. METAL WORKS hulls (2006–2011) 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 LA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "W.B. METAL WORKS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/vqk, last verified 2026-06-12.