If a boat on the showroom floor comes with a 200-hp engine but a buyer wants a 250-hp engine, the dealer may have to order the bigger engine and keep the smaller one in stock.Photo: Mark Corke General Motors introduced planned obsolescence in the 1920s as a way of discerning one model year from another, in order to convince the public that buying the latest model car was fashionable, if not exactly necessary.
Eventually, consumers began to rely on the model-year change, which usually happened in the fall, to assure that they were getting the latest and greatest. Car buyers still eagerly anticipate the newest technology, and dealers often offer deep discounts to move out last years models. Manufacturers of other big-ticket items, such as boats and outboards, followed suit, hoping to convince buyers that the newer the boat, the better the boat. For years, U.S. Coast Guard regulations required boat manufacturers to use August 1 of the previous year as the cutoff date for the next model year. ![]() When buying a used boat, take a rubbing of the boats HIN using a pencil and paper to ensure it matches the sellers documents. In 2012, boatbuilders petitioned the Coast Guard to change the date to June 1, allowing for an extra two months of production to still be labeled as next years model. Manufacturers argued that because of marine production schedules, which, unlike automaker schedules, tend to fall at erratic times throughout the year, they needed to have more flexibility in designating the time span of their new model year. The Coast Guard agreed to make the change, permitting a couple of months of last years boats to be called this years. Fortunately, its fairly simple to find your boats build date. ![]() ![]() Some boats, especially large ones, may be on the floor for months before completion (even straddling the June cutoff date), while others may be finished in a matter of days. To be consistent, the Coast Guard uses the date the manufacturer says the boat meets federal regs. Once the HIN is assigned and affixed, that date becomes the boats model year, regardless of when it was actually finished. Once a HIN has been put on the boat, it cant be changed without permission from the commandant of the Coast Guard, which rarely happens. New boat buyers should look at the HIN and verify that the boat in which theyre interested actually belongs to the model year that the dealer claims for it. Used-boat buyers should also decipher the HIN and make sure it matches what the seller and paperwork state. What About My Engine The month and year of engine manufacture can usually be found on a sticker near the engines serial number. The Coast Guard has no model-year regulations for outboard engines, making it harder for consumers to determine the year in which they were built. In 2007, Yamaha stopped designating model years for its outboard engines entirely. Though the reasoning is sound, it creates a challenge for consumers. Unlike cars, in which engines are built into the product, a selection of engines usually can be fitted on outboard boats. Dealers have struggled for years to make sure that the engines bought from an engine manufacturer during one year get sold that same year on new boats.
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