Boat Identification Help!

[Steamguy]

I had a trawler that looked like that. Same interior. Same flybridge outline. Same windows, except it had 3 rectangular windows P+S in aft cabin. Difference was it had a wide blue stripe at top of hull, and the mast was vertical. It was a "Hudson Enterprise, Inc." "Coaster 39" which I believed at the time to be a Taiwanese copy of a DeFever.

[SeaStarDF50]

What year? That might at least help zero in on yards actively building at the time.



HIN as described by Comodave above were required by the USCG in 1972; before then, there wasn't a consistent serial number format. In 1984, USCG required that it also be permanently inscribed (carved, burned, etched, stamped) inside the boat. They are often found carved into a timber in the engine room or lazarette. For example, wooden and fiberglass DeFevers made in the 60s-70s by Oriental Boat Company (OBC) in Yokuska, Japan and American Marine in Hong Kong have a six-digit production number carved in a timber in the engine room floor.


In a closely related design to your handsome 37, DeFever's Offshore 38 was first built by OBC in 1970 as DeFever's 4th production line, and later in the US by Jensen Marine. With growing popularity of DeFever and others' sturdy, recreational powerboat designs, "Taiwan Trawlers" became ubiquitous "Xerox copies" as boatyards built multiple "brands" and aggressively swapped plans and hull molds, with and without permission. For example, Chien Hwa Boats (CHB), in business from 1977 to 1990, included the brands Chien Hwa, Marine Trader, La Paz, Eagle, and perhaps others. A family friend once told me that he and a partner imported unauthorized hulls from Taiwan, finished outfitting them in California, and sold the line of trawlers under their own brand name; I wish I could ask more questions of him: their brand name, years and quantity sold, which boatyard manufactured, whose hull design they illicitly used...



Good luck in pinning down your boat's provenance! It can be murky waters!

[Ron Stevenson]

Your boat is exactly like my 1979 37foot North Sea trawler!

They were built on the CHB hull. You have the same raised anchor pulpit and Chrome Sampson post. Same windshields, same window hatch over the V berth. Shore power plug in the same spot. Your aft stateroom windows been replaced With more modern frames. One of the things I like the most about my boat, is the bench across the aft cabin on the main deck - a great spot for morning coffee or afternoon adult beverages! I bet you have no after lazaret, because your queen size centerline berth goes underneath the rear deck. Water tanks on each side of your berth.

Your interior layout is exactly the same including thM fiddle rail above the salon seat, the helm station instrument panel, Placement of the reefer, stove, everything!

In August 1998, Robert Lane wrote an article “Taiwan’s Venerable trawlers “ in PassageMaker. He talks about all kinds of trawlers and he mentions one called “serenity”. If you read the article, my boat still has the bags of cement in the stern, and my key float has a line drawn through the name “serenity”. Named “ Spirit Bear” by the PO, she resides at Queen city yacht club and Seattle. PM me if you want ronstevensonmiwa@gmail.com

[cbouch]

My “hidden” hull number is in the anchor locker on the back of the partition which creates the locker. It is just above the door. Looks like this:

[Oldsarge]

If the boat is older than 1972 it won't have a regular HIN number as 1973 was the first year HIN numbers were required.. However in some cases a HIN number may be gotten from a state for older boats. I don't know what the procedure is for that, but it makes for a weird HIN number that indicate the boat is built in some state, when the boat may have actually been produced somewhere overseas. But that number starting with an R doesn't look like a HIN number, and may be a manufacturer's serial number. If the boat is 1972 or older they may have used that for its original documentation.

[akflyrod2]

Welcome aboard! We are in Sitka too. Let me know if we can help in any way.

[Ron Stevenson]

Your boat is identical to my 1979, 37 ft North Sea trawler. They were built on a CHB hull. I look at your pictures, the anchor pulpit, Chrome Sampson post, hatch over the front compartment, windshield layout, shore power plug, all in the same spot. Your aft cabin state room windows have been replaced, they have modern frames. The most distinctive feature, is one that I love, the bench at the stern which is part of the aft cabin. Great for morning coffee! I bet you do not have an aft lazarette, because your center line queen berth goes underneath that rear deck. And your water tanks are on each side of the berth. The picture of your salon is absolutely identical. The fiddle rail above the seat, the helm station, layout of the drawers under helm seat, refer, sink, stove, all exactly the same!
In August 1998, Robert Lane wrote an article for passagemaker magazine “Taiwan’s venerable trawlers “. It is a great read for all of us, and in it he mentions a boat in Puget Sound called “ serenity”. If you read the article, my boat still has the cement bags back at the transom, and the key fob has a line drawn through the name “serenity”. The PO named the boat “spirit bear“, and she moors at Queen City YC in Seattle.

[Ron Stevenson]

A few pictures of the 1979 37’ North Sea trawler

[Pete Meisinger]

It's a nice boat and definitely a Taiwan Trawler (TT). But it is NOT an Albin.

Instead of everyone guessing what it is, how about we tell you what it is NOT (and why we feel that way).

It is NOT an Albin because the Samson post is different, the interior is WAY different, the mast is wrong, there are no scuppers along the walkway, (Albins have 3), The engine access panel is wrong. More pictures would tell me more.

It could be from the same yard as Albin but my guess is NO.

pete

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Hey SE, welcome to TF.

We were in Sitka for the first time in the summer of 2019. The Admiral LOVES Sitka. The Sitka folks made us feel very welcome. Those on the docks called us "Yachtees."

We spent 3 weeks in Kalinin Bay fishing the "Shark Hole." There sure is a lot of bays that can get lonely as you are all by your self!

Not much help on your boat ID. I do know that when our boats were made the "families" that built them traded plans back and forth. Good luck on your search.

Tom
ASD

[OldDan1943]

Perhaps his desire for a HIN is to make it easier to find parts?