Interesting Story - What Really Happened?

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:15 am

Last fall I purchased SeaDog, our '79 36' Tri-cabin. When I received the paperwork, I noticed that I had received two titles for the boat - one with a standard Trojan hull number and one with a Michigan-assigned hull number. I have been trying to determine why Michigan would assign a hull number and when I checked the boat - sure enough - there was the Michigan-assigned hull number with no sign of the original Trojan hull number.

I later learned from Bob at Beacon Marine that the real Trojan manufacturing hull number that refers to Trojan's engineering drawings is located on a metal plate fastened to the electrical panel inside the boat. I checked and - sure enough - there it was and it matched the one on the title. I had seriously considered having the original Trojan hull number re-embossed on my boat since I had a title with that number and I was transferring it to another state anyway.

My curiosity was getting the best of me and I wanted the original Trojan hull number on my boat so I wrote an email to the Secretary of State's office in Lansing inquiring why the original hull number was changed and under whose authority it was changed. I really never expected to get an answer but about a week later I received a very cordial telephone call from the head of the watercraft licensing division in Lansing trying to resolve my issue. I explained the situation to her and she said she had no immediate explanation, was completely surprised that I had two titles to the same vessel with two differing hull numbers, and would initiate a standard "look-up" to see what the archived records would reveal - if anything. The title with the Michigan hull number was issued in 2003 and the one with the Trojan hull number was issued in 1998 so she was not sure how far back the complete records would go. She stated she would then call me back.

Much to my surprise, a week later I get another cordial call from the same lady with an answer to my inquiry. She told me that there were two identical Trojan vessels owned by two different people with the same identical hull number that had both been titled in Michigan. This was not discovered until all of the data was entered into a computer database which kicked out the discrepancy. Both owners wanted the original Trojan hull number and so to resolve the issue they were both issued Michigan-assigned hull numbers and were instructed to send their titles with the Trojan hull number back to the Secretary of State's office. One owner complied and sent the title - the other did not. And so I have both titles.

She went on to tell me that I could probably get the number re-instated if I wanted to since my hull number plate on the inside of the vessel in essence matched the number on the title.

When asked, she had no explanation for why two titles had the same hull number. She did say that she has been in her job for many, many years and has seen the same thing happen many times in the past. She explained that was why Michigan ever developed a state-assigned hull numbering system to begin with. She said she believed the reason she saw it so much was because the state of Michigan is near the top of the list for total watercraft registrations.

It left me with this question - what is the likelihood that Trojan assigned the same hull number twice? Since I am not that well versed on how and when hull numbers get assigned and embossed on the hull, is there anything that could have happened after it left the plant to cause there to be two identical hull numbers?

Thoughts?

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:59 am

That is strange...
Maybe Bob can figure it out somehow and come up with an explination?
Can't imagine a Hin not being on the transom. Or was it and had it been removed? Keep us posted.

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:24 am

Both boats had the same identical hull number embossed on the transom. The state of Michigan inspected them and enforced the change and inspected the change.

LSP · Post by **LSP** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:48 am

maybe you actually bought 2 boats.....

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:21 pm

Now there's an idea that I could go for. Two Trojans - one for summer and one for winter!

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:07 pm

It was a marketing gimmick.

Trojan was going to award $1,000,000.00 to the vessel which survived the longest with that HIN. You may have won!

Good luck trying to collect!

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:35 pm

To claim your prize send me a check so I can cover the cost of sending you a check