How old is my inflatable boat or RIB boat?

Many owners of an inflatable boat or RIB boat do not know exactly how old their boat is. Fortunately, you can easily work this out yourself using the hull number, also known as the Watercraft Identification Number (WIN).

What is a WIN, HIN or CIN number?

Every inflatable boat and RIB boat is fitted with a unique hull number. The official name for this is the Watercraft Identification Number (WIN). This number is comparable to a car’s chassis number.

The WIN number is sometimes also referred to as HIN (Hull Identification Number) or CIN (Craft Identification Number).

You can find this number on the boat itself, usually on the starboard side of the transom plate (engine plate) or on the manufacturer’s plate. The exact position can vary by manufacturer.

All boats built after June 1998 must be fitted with this number.

What does a WIN number look like?

A WIN number always consists of 14 characters.

Example WIN number: NL-ABC-1K234-A-818

Meaning of the characters:

NL → Country of manufacture

ABC → Unique code of the yard or manufacturer

1L234 → Serial number

A → Month of manufacture (A = January to L = December)

8 → Year of manufacture

18 → Model year

Reading the year of manufacture from the WIN number

The last three digits of the WIN number indicate the age of your boat.

In the example NL-ABC-1K234-A-818 you can see that the boat was manufactured in the month of January in 2018, to the model specifications of model year 2018.

Boat manufacturers often start production for the next model year at the end of the summer season. As a result, a boat with a WIN number ending in 718 may in fact have been built in 2017, but still belong to model year 2018.

In short: a boat with production code 718 is regarded as a 2018 model.

Where can I find the WIN number on my inflatable boat?

  • On the starboard side of the transom plate (engine plate)
  • On the boat’s manufacturer’s plate
  • The number should also always be stated on the purchase invoice

Check the WIN number when buying a second-hand boat

If you want to buy a second-hand inflatable boat or RIB boat, always check the WIN number.
Pay close attention to whether the details on the manufacturer’s plate match the Zodiac type.

Do you have doubts about a boat’s authenticity or origin?
Please feel free to contact us; we will be happy to help.