What's a HIN, and why does it matter?
A Hull Identification Number (HIN) is the marine equivalent of a VIN on a car — a unique identifier that every boat receives under federal regulations. For busy marinas managing dozens or hundreds of vessels, HINs are the most reliable way to distinguish between boats, especially when multiple boaters have the same make and model.
Accurate HINs also matter beyond your own records. Third-party service vendors, insurance providers, and compliance reporting all depend on being able to identify a specific vessel with certainty.
What's new
Capture HINs directly on boat records
Hull ID can now be entered and edited directly on boat and contact boat records in the marina management interface. It lives right where your other vessel data lives — no more tracking it separately.
See HINs in your reports
Hull ID is now a available column in both the Reservations Report and the Contracts Report. Pull vessel ID data whenever you need it for compliance, insurance, or record-keeping — no extra steps required.
Automatic formatting and validation
The HIN field does the cleanup work for you:
Validates formatting so incorrectly structured HINs are flagged before they're saved
Converts entries to uppercase automatically
Parses manufacture dates and manufacturer codes from properly formatted HINs, saving your team manual lookup time
How to add a HIN to a boat record
In the Dockwa Platform, navigate to the contact boat record you want to update.
Locate the Hull ID (HIN) field.
Enter the vessel's HIN. The field will automatically format and validate the entry.
Click Save to confirm.
Note: HINs are 12 characters long for most vessels manufactured after 1972. If the field flags your entry as invalid, double-check the number against the physical HIN plate on the vessel — typically found on the starboard side of the transom.
Troubleshooting
HIN showing as invalid after entry? Make sure the number matches the physical HIN plate exactly. The field validates against standard federal HIN formatting, so any deviation — including incorrect length or disallowed characters — will be flagged. The field will convert to uppercase automatically, so capitalization isn't the issue.