Formosa 68 HIN HELP needed

[Rachel-3]

I have a Formosa Ketch 68 built in Jan 1990. have searched the boat from top to bottom but can not find the HIN. I need a HIN number for getting into Mexico.
Agent told me just to make one up??? as long as I have one that's all that counts. so here it is.

FFB 19901 A 0 90
Can anyone say why this wont work? or have a better idea.

thanks for looking...Mark
Rachel III

[Terra Nova]

The hull number is supposed to be located on the transom, upper starboard side.

Make one up? Please.

[td0tz]

How did you register it without an HIN? (it should be on your reg papers, maybe listed as Vehicle ID.)
Generally required, even here in landlocked Colorado

[Rachel-3]

I looked at the stern, but its all been newly Awl Griped and I asked before it was painted to look out for the HIN but they couldn't find it.
I purchased the boat in Ecuador and there was no mention of the HIN number on the notary documents.

[Rachel-3]

I registered her in England, all done on line and a HIN number was not necessary.

[td0tz]

Yeah, I thought it might be a case of an over eager yard guy with a belt sander.

Originally Posted by Rachel-3

I registered her in England, all done on line and a HIN number was not necessary.

Amazing. I always thought the Brits were real sticklers for detail and protocol!
Now I know where I'll register that boat that "fell offa truck"

Maybe they have a process for creating an equivalent identification number? We have such here in the US, particularly for registering home builts or cases like this.

[Cheechako]

I vote for making one up. :>) ink mark it on a beam in the engine room. "that number was there when I bought it..."

[Oceandeep]

I have a similar boat that was made in Taiwan too. On my boat the HIN is on the stern plus the engine room and on a small brass plaque in the main salon. Are you sure you can't find it anywhere on the boat or in your ship papers?

If you have to create a new number make sure to follow the correct format.
On my boat the number is ABC XXX YYY M83D where ABC = the 3 letter abbreviation for the Manufacturer: XXX=the number of your hull ; M=motorsailer; 83 = is the year 1983; D= diesel. If there is a Formosa boat owner out there they may be able to get you closer to the exact format for the HIN

[mrlee]

Are you buying the 10 year "permisso"? By all means make it up for their needs..If you try another route they will run you around for ages with papers and all kinds of "tramites"...I made one for my trailer sailer to bring it over here and they looked it and YA! no problems...
Make it with a pc. of metal and paint it over as if it has been there from day one...I put mine partially under the wrap around moulding...
If you have a native with you to speak their language ($$) it makes all go much smoother...$500 pesos and you can do whatever you want with the right person doing the negotiations...We cannot do that!

[Pierre]

The hull number ending in M83D indicates the old HIN version of numbers.
M is a separator and 83 the year. The D is the month (NOT DIESEL but November in this case) at that time, A was August B September etc.
From 1985 and up,the last 4 numbers are Month of manufacture A=Jan B =Feb. the letter M was a separator only.
year of manufacture (last digit of the year , such as 9 and the last 2 are the model year.
Example:
J485 is a boat built in October of 1984 and is a 1985 model.
The present HIN numbers which also start with the basic three letters are all listed with USCG at the following site (Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) Database).
If your boat does not have one , it can be assigned by the USCG which is often the case with boats built in Taiwan and even on French boats built in France. I have seen many Beneteau's in my surveys with two numbers, the French original serial number and below it the USCG assigned HIN after importing to US.

Good luck
Pierre

[GordMay]

The manufacturer’s code for FORMOSA YACHT BLDRS, PO BOX 22091, TAIPEI is “FYB”

[Group9]

Usually, the HIN is reproduced in several places. In my boat, for instance, it is on the interior wall of the forward head space under the sink, and also on one of the cross stringers above the bilge. It may take a while to find, but it's going to be on there somewhere, and probably in more than one place.

I'd start out by finding where they put in on other Formosas.

[zeehag]

the uscg will issue one when you request this info on the reverse side of your documentation. is official number, and your own made up one wont suffice.
in mexico you will need EITHER the hin OR the documentation number. i have yet to be asked my hin. i have a doc number. i am in mexico. i have no trouble whatsoever.

[mrlee]

zeehag, that's very interesting...with a trailer sailer the guys at aduana at the border were all over the HIN number. They didn't pay too much attention to the papers and they took them and facilitated all the paperwork for an extra $500 Mx pesos...All they were interested in was the "mochate"...gimme da money!
I will keep that in mind for when I sail the next one down...good info...thanks

[zeehag]

you may already have an hin if you are documented. uscg does that. check your document.
if you have none in reality, send the copy of backside of document to uscg as a request for hin. mebbe can be done online--i do not know.
your boat was constructed in 1990, there should be a hin on record with uscg--let them find it for ye. be legal.
uscg will give you a proper hin. is only one that is official. they love official stuff here.
there is a place in bottom of my hold wherein lies quadrant. is out of the way and found upon good search. mine has document number on it.
if you have a builders placque, the hin is on that. if someone took that placque for a souvenir of their long lost boat, you have no record of this, although there was at one time a number. that number may have been recorded, so it is good to see if you can retrieve it from uscg. they have archives.
so, your best idea is to have uscg make you a number and/or search for old one compared to (cross referenced) document number--these items are researchable when you google your document number.
all records are there in that uscg info file. have you looked there for any other numbers than document number??
you may find it there.. good luck.

btw--it is different towing into mexico a boat than it is to sail it into mexico. you will learn this when you bring a large non trailerable into mexico. with trailerable, we found the inspector desired ALL numbers to MATCH-- boat, truck and trailer. this was in 2004. somehow the owner made all numbers match which appeased the inspector. no mordida.
as mordida is currently allegedly illegal, things may be easier., this is within a few short years in age.. is different under this president than last one.