HIN Compliance

[skunked]

I received this in the mail today. It seems the hin on my 17 ft is out of compliance.
The hin is GPL17884M811-9 and is more than 12 characters long. Have any of you received such a letter?

[Socal]

Skunked.

If this letter is real, and it looks like it is, it represents another major waste of USCG and WA state DOL staff time. If the HIN stamped on your hull matches your registration/title documents it had to meet registration requirements in 1981. The format was changed in 1984 as stated on page two of the letter you received. It looks like the "-9" at the end of the HIN is putting you over the magic 12 digits. There are a lot of GPs with "-X" at the end of the HIN string. To date, no one has offered an explanation for that digit.

I would call the Coast Guard to confirm the validity of the State's letter and if it is a new requirement see if you can just fill the extra digits, change your registration and call it a day. A change in CG Federal registration numbers will affect hundreds of thousands boats throughout the U.S.
This ranks alongside of the new FCC marine radio rules eliminating the alpa designator on some stations and replacing it with digits.
Thanks for the heads' up - California may be next, but it won't be free.

[captn H]

I got one in the mail yesterday, same document for my 30' Tollycraft that I "SOLD" in Dec. Paper work I had on boat went back to early 90's and all numbers matched HIN, title, registration. My old Tolly's HIN is 308235 in this case under the Coast Guard requirement of being 12 digit HIN. Crazy stuff going on here and a lot of money and time being wasted. Going to be a lot of these letters going out I think and resources used up to straighten this boondoggle up.

[Socal]

The next requirement wii be to find the second, hidden HIN and update it. Someone is missing the 'boat' here. Your Tolly, like GP's in the 70's all had six digit HIN's. All boat's are/should be in the CG/State registration database. It would make more sense to require all boat's mfg. after Jan 1, 2017 to comply with the new registration system. But that's just a logical and practical thought.
I bet if enough WA owners protested, changes could be made.

[Bill V]

It would make more sense to require all boat's mfg. after Jan 1, 2017 to comply with the new registration system. But that's just a logical and practical thought.
I bet if enough WA owners protested, changes could be made.

Now you know that government could never do anything that is logical and practical.

[Binford]

I got one too, for Cardinal. I think they are just changing the HIN on the title, but then it won't match what's molded into the transom. So then what....?

[Marauder]

I went to the Department of Licensing today with my title for my 17'. I was issued a new HIN starting with WNZ. I will now have to have a tag made up and affix it to my transom.

[Binford]

All because of one -x digit?! Oh brother....

How are you to affix this tag?

[noluck]

don't they have better things to do than harass people?

[captn H]

Just got another letter, this time for my 1973 10' alum. boat with 6hp outboard that is not in compliance with the new reg's. I use it for lake fishing and crabbing but WN # are required since it's used on federal waters. I could say it's my dinghy for the Glasply, but that don't fly very well with authorities if mother boat is not close by. What a PITA...... can't imagine what the cost to implement all this will be.

[Marauder]

All because of one -x digit?! Oh brother....

How are you to affix this tag?

The vague directions are on the back of the letter, or the second sheet Skunked posted above. I'm thinking a stainless tag adhered with 5200 or rivets.

[Binford]

The vague directions are on the back of the letter, or the second sheet Skunked posted above. I'm thinking a stainless tag adhered with 5200 or rivets.

Oh, I see it now. It's in the very bottom right corner by the drawing of the hull. You're right...vague.

So I'm going to have to stick a new HIN on the Cardinal? Oh man....

[captn H]

I wonder what's going to happen when Coast Guard, law enforcement and border guards start seeing all these boats with new homemade type HIN # ? Time consuming disaster in the works, better keep old HIN# on boat and have good paperwork trail handy hoping for the best.

[Bill V]

This is a situation where a stolen boat can get a legal HIN if you have an old title to a junk boat.

[sgschwend]

Some how I think you all, or we all should wait, and do nothing.

For one thing I am not the manufacture and therefore I don't have the authority to modify the manufacture's documents.

Think of it this way. Could you legally change the VIN number on your car?

We already have a unique Washington State number on our boats, that should be enough to suit them. A documented vessel has a unique Federal number, the Fed didn't come along and say, take that VIN off your boat and use the one I give you. BUNK.