WATSON CRAFT INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with WJS were assigned by the US Coast Guard to WATSON CRAFT INC of TORRANCE, CA. 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
WJS
Location
TORRANCE, CA
In business
since 1996
Status
Out of business (2002)
WATSON CRAFT INC hulls (1996–2002) 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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WATSON CRAFT INC HIN FAQ
What does a WATSON CRAFT INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "WJS" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to WATSON CRAFT INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. WATSON CRAFT INC hulls (1996–2002) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is WATSON CRAFT INC still in business?
USCG records list WATSON CRAFT INC 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 WATSON CRAFT INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. WATSON CRAFT INC hulls (1996–2002) 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 CA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "WATSON CRAFT INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/wjs, last verified 2026-06-12.