Boat Identification Help!

Hello everyone!
New member here from up in Alaska.
I recently purchased a 37 foot "CHB" or so I think. After doing some looking around I'm having a really hard time finding exactly what make and model of boat I have! The people I bought it from told me that it was a Golden gate and I have a old survey that also states as a Golden Gate. But upon searching for a "Golden Gate 37" I can't find any photos or info anywhere on the Web.
SO I tried CHB 37 ETC.. and I really can't find anything that's exactly like my boat. The closest I've seen are the Hershine brand but still its not exactly what I have. Im hoping you all can help me Identify what I own.
Thank you!

Welcome aboard. Pretty boat. What is the HIN? There will be a manufacturers code in the HIN. You can research the codes on the internet and it will tell you the manufacturer. Back in the day in Taiwan there was a lot of loaning the molds around between the different builders so several may have the same exact hull but built by different shops.

The HIN is R370360280 And thank you for heads up! I'll try searching with that.

The MIC (manufactures identification code) should be 3 letters. The numbers id the serial number and date of manufacture. With only 1 letter you won’t be able to look it up.

No builders plate above the lower helm windscreen? There should be another HIN concealed somewhere, behind the electrics maybe, or somewhere else obscure. "Golden Gate" emblazoned on the FB looks more name than brand, and I can`t see "37" next to it. Either way it may have SF origins. I agree the bow looks Hershine, or Polaris (as sold here, but sold elsewhere under another name I can`t recall), though the trunk cabin suggests otherwise.
Looking at the chines, does it get wave slap?

Well I searched around for a HIN number and I couldn't find one to speak of... the only numbers I found were proudly displayed on a small piece of plastic on the stern. R370360280-DC which is what was written down on the survey as the HIN.

That makes it much more difficult to help. According to the specs for a HIN yours doesn’t match the specs. Don’t know what to tell you, the MIC should be 3 letters. That is what I have always seen and I used to check them on Vessel Safety Checks. Never seen an HIN with only 1 letter. Unless the trailing 2 letters are part of the MIC. Maybe use the 3 letters and look that up???

So someone goes to a yard in Taiwan and says .... Nice hull, built me 10 of those and call them "Regency" then the next guys says build me six of those and call them "Golden Gate"" or whatever and then sells them in the US.

Tracing the history of many of those boats is almost impossible.

PS Your HIN/MIC makes no sense and does not follow any of the three officially required formats.

What is a HIN

The boat is not documented at all?
Review the old survey, looking for a HIN number.

It could easily have been a one off in that a boat dealer ordered one boat built on spec with visions of many more to come and then it turned out to be the only one built, or maybe just a few. Back then the builders in Taiwan would sell a bare hull or even copy someone else's boat and sell it as some other brand. It may be a Golden Gate but could possibly be the only one ever built. Nothing wrong with that but you may never find out anything definitive about it. As long as it is registered or documented properly, no problem.

Thanks all!
Im coming to the realization that I may not ever find out what it is haha.
looking back through the old registration and survey, The number I provided is what's put down as the HIN even tho its incorrect,
Im not stranger to boats either, I've spent my entire life working on boats up here in Alaska and I'm familiar with the format that a HIN should be.
She's a well built Taiwanese boat nonetheless it seems they spared no expense with internals of the boat and the hardware used. its got a Ford Lehman 120 for power with a 2" stainless shaft which is pretty stout for the power.

Well it really doesn’t matter as long as you are happy with it. Pick a name you like and go with it.

To be honest, I strongly suspect that "Golden Gate" might have been the boat name from a previous owner. That looks like a common class of boat from a variety of builders. I've never seen one place the model name in large blue letters on the upper bridge like that.

That is, however, a common place to put a vessel name.

I can easily envision a new boater confusing the previous boat name with the model, and both leaving it, and registering it as such if there was limited paperwork from previous transactions.

Incidentally, it looks a lot like an Albin 36 Double Cabin.

https://www.google.com/search?q=alb...BAgNEFQ&biw=1536&bih=722#imgrc=BxAkq6r1AsyKgM

If it’s a good boat who cares?

It’s not like you’re going to go looking for the parts dept. All the hardware can be purchased on-line or at your NAPA store in Sitka. I lived in Thorne Bay recently for 8 (or so) years and was amazed at what was available at the Craig NAPA auto parts store. And Craig is much smaller than Sitka.

There is a TF member in Sitka ... “Old Deck Hand”. We talk about moving to Sitka fairly often and notice the home prices are down.

Tour boat looks good.

It looks like a Fu Hwa.

Wow It sure does looks like it. Closet Ive seen

While it may look good on a boat, I am allergic to exterior teak and it may result in a fatal reaction.

Dont know you have located it but its a Chung Hwa Boat (CHB) built in Taiwan. They built quite a few. If you do a search on Yachtworld there are quite a few for sale to give you an idea of the styles they made.

Southeast37 said:

Hello everyone!
New member here from up in Alaska.
I recently purchased a 37 foot "CHB" or so I think. After doing some looking around I'm having a really hard time finding exactly what make and model of boat I have! The people I bought it from told me that it was a Golden gate and I have a old survey that also states as a Golden Gate. But upon searching for a "Golden Gate 37" I can't find any photos or info anywhere on the Web.
SO I tried CHB 37 ETC.. and I really can't find anything that's exactly like my boat. The closest I've seen are the Hershine brand but still its not exactly what I have. Im hoping you all can help me Identify what I own.
Thank you!

Click to expand...

Nice photos! I lived in the house in the background of your "grid" picture. Green house metal roof.

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.

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!

Do I win the prize?

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

Hull number location

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:

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.

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

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.

A few pictures of the 1979 37’ North Sea trawler

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

Welcome

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