SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with XWK were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS of FOLEY, AL. The company is recorded as out of business since 1979 — 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
XWK
Location
FOLEY, AL
In business
—
Status
Out of business (1979)
SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS hulls (1972–1979) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS HIN FAQ
What does a SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "XWK" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS hulls (1972–1979) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984.
Is SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS still in business?
USCG records list SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS as out of business since 1979. 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 SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS hulls (1972–1979) predate the current HIN format — expect the legacy straight-year (MMYY) or model-year (M + year + month letter) date codes used 1972–1984. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in AL
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SOUTHERN BOAT WORKS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/xwk, last verified 2026-06-12.