Boat Serial Numbers

Location on boat

Traditional

Starboard side of the Stern Deck near the drain plug
The four digit hull number may be stamped on a piece of Aluminium on the upright under the inspection port near the splash board
The four digit hull number may be stamped on the lock plates of the rigger

Advantage

Starboard side of the Stern Deck near the drain plug
Written under the seat deck forward of the rope handle. The numbers are written backwards so if a mirror is placed in the inspection port near the splash board the numbers will read correctly.

Decoding

Van Dusen boats use the standard Coast Guard Number.

They are in the format: CIG#####X###
CIG is the Manufacturer ID code
The first 2 numbers after that is the kind of boat

Advantage Hull

16000 – Heavyweight Single
20000 – Flyweight Single
14000 – Lightweight Single
18000 – Heavyweight Double
17000 – Lightweight Double

Traditional Hull

01000 – Midweight Single
02000 – Heavyweight Single
03000 – Double
04000 – Lightweight Single

The next 3 numbers are sequential from the first boat made (i.e. 001)
The next letter is the month is was made

A – January
B – February
C – March
D – April
E – May
F – June
G – July
H – August
I – September
J – October
K – November
L – December

The next numbers is the year of the decade it was made. so a 5 could be 1975, 1985, 1995, or 2005
The last 2 numbers are the model year
An example: CIG14055E989 is the 55th Lightweight Single Advantage made. Manufactured May of 1989.