CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN Decoder — MIC YCH

Hull Identification Numbers beginning with YCH were assigned by the US Coast Guard to CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT of WILMINGTON, DE. The company is recorded as out of business since 1991 — 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

YCH

Location

WILMINGTON, DE

In business

since 1986

Status

Out of business (1991)

CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT hulls (1986–1991) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.

How a CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN breaks down

A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example YCH45678D424 (illustrative):

CharactersSegmentIn exampleWhat it identifies
1–3Manufacturer (MIC)YCHIdentifies CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT, assigned by the US Coast Guard.
4–8Hull serial number45678CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT's own production number for the specific hull (the letters I, O, Q are never used).
9Certification monthDMonth built — A=January … L=December (D = April).
10Certification year4Last digit of the certification year.
11–12Model year24The boat’s model year.

Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner

Buying this CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT? Check it before you pay.

CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT is recorded out of business (1991) — which affects recalls, parts support, and resale. The $9.99 Boat Report adds the full CPSC marine-recall check, a HIN consistency check, a verify-before-you-buy checklist, and the USCG builder record for this hull — one downloadable report, one-time, no subscription. See what's included

CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN FAQ

What does a CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN look like?

It starts with the three characters "YCH" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT hulls (1986–1991) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.

Is CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT still in business?

USCG records list CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT as out of business since 1991. 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 CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN?

On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT hulls (1986–1991) 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.

Where is the HIN on a CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT boat?

On the outside upper-starboard (right) corner of the transom, within two inches of the top — required by 33 CFR 181.29. Since August 1984 an identical duplicate HIN is also molded into an unexposed interior location as an anti-theft measure. Both should match the title, registration, and insurance card exactly.

Is the "YCH" MIC the same as a CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT serial number?

No. "YCH" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT's own production number for that specific boat (the letters I, O, and Q are never used). The full 12-character HIN combines the MIC, the serial, and the date code.

Can a CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN tell me the exact model?

Not on its own. A HIN encodes the builder, hull serial, certification month/year, and model year — not the model name or length. Match the decoded year and serial against CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.

Other builders in DE

Sources: verified against the USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C. Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere. Cite this page: CarWhere, "CHESAPEAKE CRUISING YT HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ych, last verified 2026-06-15.