: Throw them for a real loop, call your local CG district office and request a
: HIN...

And they will either issue you one right then, or (more likely) refer you to the office which does issue them. They are wise to such tricks. This is not going to throw anyone for a loop.

In Illinois I got my HIN number issued when I first registered my boat. The HIN number is free, and different from my registration number. My Boat registration was my only expense, and I think it is $3 a year -- which I consider reasonable.

My two Sevylor inflatables all came with documentation from the manufacturer which included HINs.

Check the archives and you'll find some exhaustive info on the subject. HIN numbers are not random nonsense. They identify the manufacturer ( or home builder) the date (year and month) the boat was built and the number in the sequence. For commercial builders each company gets their manufacturers ID number from the USCG and then they fill in the rest of the info according to the code. For home builders ( and there are a lot) it is not practical for each builder to get a manufacturer's ID, so the states use a generic one and fil in the rest of the blanks for you -- and your boat gets a unique ID number.

Hope this helps

PGJ