Hull ID: Am I really one of the cool guys?

[cct]

Hi all. This is probably more of a discussion item for the middle of winter, but I am out of town for most of the month so Google is as close as I can get to my boat right now.

I started by reading on Trawlers Forum (in the Albin group) about Hull Numbers. Then that took me to the USCGboating.org site. There, I found that the hull number should start with AUL or AUE if it is an Albin. Well, mine starts with HHG. Hum.... I'm at least the 3rd owner, maybe more, and I know it was registered and documented in Canada at least once. I also know that many of the Taiwanese shipbuilders were doing alot of spit swapping during those years trying to make production quotas. The boat dealer I bought it from declared it as an Albin as does the New York State registration but I suppose it is possible that as it made it's way from Canada to the US, it could sell better if it carried the Albin name.

So now, I have to wonder if I am an adopted Albinite or the prodical son of Herr Albin. Anyone else out there have a HHG hull number or something other than AUL / AUE or am I the only one?

This does address one peculiarity however. In the standard Albin 36, the galley is on the port side and settee on the starboard side. Well, ours is the inverse. The galley is to starboard and settee to port. So is that some kind of sick joke by the subcontractor or a sign that I truly was adopted?

Side note: HHG is Ho Hsing GRP Co LTD out of Tanin, Taiwan. Out of business in 1992.

[DougSea]

Interesting. Does the rest of your HIN follow "normal" Albin convention? For you that would be HHG36 followed by a 3 digit sequence and a four digit date code.

[cct]

My hull number follows the convention initially, then it strays:
HHG 36 306 M 81 A

I found the US and Canadian rules for registering boats and my hull number doesn't seem to follow either protocol with the last 4 digits.

It's not a big deal. Just something for me to ponder at a desk while everyone else is out on the water.

[James Grant]

Hey there Karma - I too have an HHG 36 344 M 82 K Hull it's with the standard layout - bought in the US - original owner was in Florida. Boat purchased and taken to Michigan and we picked it up from there as the third owner.
I have a buddy here in the marina that has an 1980 36 DC with HHG standard layout.
Yours may be unique with the opposite layout -not sure if I ever saw one with the galley to starboard. I have seen a few on yachtworld that had pedestal beds - that would be nice

[RobS]

My hull number follows the convention initially, then it strays:
HHG 36 306 M 81 A

I found the US and Canadian rules for registering boats and my hull number doesn't seem to follow either protocol with the last 4 digits.

Looks like the 2nd format. The 36306 is length and hull number

hull number.JPG

Just something for me to ponder at a desk while everyone else is out on the water.

Me too

[Despacio]

Plate in cabin reads;
Hull No. XHU 112

Numbers molded into hull are unreadable.

[cct]

Great! Thanks for the replies. At least I know I am not alone and really do have an Albin. As for the galley / salon setup, we like the inverse setup. It buys us an additional cabinet on the galley side which always helps. Our aft berth is tucked into the aft port corner - not a favorite for me since I get the outboard position and 6'1". But it's all about earning those Green Stamps so I can cash them in later.

When we get everything else caught up, the commodore wants (me) to tear out the tub, common wall, move the head forward and move the berth over to centerline and make it an island configuration. "You bet babe. I'll get right on that". Hum..., how many Green Stamps is that worth?

[Sea Crawler]

My hull ID reads as follows: HHG36258M80C.
Not sure what the "C" indicates...

Layout is standard split vee berths in the forward stateroom, galley to port, lower helm and U-shape settee to starboard. The aft cabin includes a double berth to port with the head to starboard (aft end).

The PO had the chart table (stbd side and forward in aft stateroom) fitted with a basin sink (American Standard). The tub was replace with a ceramic shower stall. The head is a vacu-flush toilet.

[RobS]

My hull ID reads as follows: HHG36258M80C.
Not sure what the "C" indicates....

M - Model Year Format Hull ID
80 - Model Year
C - Month of Production (October)