Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by DaGasman on 11/25/06 - 7:20 PM

My neighbor is selling me a Boston Whaler but not sure if it is a 15 or 16 foot boat. NC did not require a title for the original or subsequent sales. How do I find out the model and year of manufacture since I will need to file for a title under new state laws? The Hull ID is 5A2023 and a metal plate on the outside of the transom on the left side has a seven digit number 2996-77J.

Thanks for your help!

Edited by Tom W Clark on 11/26/06 - 5:58 PM

Posted by Joe Kriz on 11/25/06 - 8:48 PM

DaGasman,

In the Article section on this site is some of the information you seek.
http://www.whalercentral.com/readarti...icle_id=22

The 5A designation narrows it down to the 15 foot hull.

In the same Article section on this site you can see other Hull Identification numbers for other models of Whalers.
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...p?cat_id=7

Take a look at the link above and see what you might come up with as far as the year of your 15 foot hull. The metal plate should also contain some other letters that are shown in that link also.
BWC??2996M77J...... Just guessing on what your tag might say.
I would guess it is around 1977........
Many times the tag is hard to read. I know I have had to use a magnifying glass and a flashlight on some of the tags just to read a few more of the letters and numbers.

Posted by DaGasman on 11/26/06 - 9:48 AM

Thanks Joe,
I have taped around the metal plate and buffed it up it clearly has only a 4 digit 2992 and a space then 77J. The best I can make is that it is a 77 made in May of that year. I am lost as to why the plate number and the stenciled number inside the boat on the transom are not the same. I am not understanding something though! I thought the hull numers should be the same in both places.
Joe

Posted by Joe Kriz on 11/26/06 - 10:04 AM

I see now....

The 5A number is the Hull Stencil number. The number of the hull that came out of that mold.

The HIN, Hull Identification number on the metal tag is like the VIN number on an automobile.

The metal tag can 'lose' the letters that were silk screened on it over the years.
The numbers that you still see were stamped in and that's why you can still see them.
So, the letters were silk screened (painted) on and the numbers were stamped in.

It is safe to say that the numbers you still see can be filled in with the letters that all the rest of the metal tags had. Mainly, BWC??2996M77J
Yes, according to the "M" designation in the HIN, this stands for the Model Year Format.
So, your boat was built in May of 1977 as a 1977 model....

You could also verify this with Boston Whaler.
Give them the both numbers you have and they can verify when it was built and who it was first shipped to.. Then you would have a confirmation email from Boston Whaler to give to your title company as proof.

Contact Chuck Bennett

Edited by Joe Kriz on 11/26/06 - 10:07 AM