84,300 power boats · 50 manufacturers · the only self-serve boat specs API

Marine vessel data, spec by spec.

Power boats with length, beam, weight, horsepower, engine count, hull type and fuel type — spec filters on every search, every record a stable UUID — plus U.S. Coast Guard recalls and HIN decoding. Built for marine services, insurers and marketplaces.

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Free plan includes 100 API calls/mo — no card required.

api.vehdb.com
GET /v1/boats?make=Boston+Whaler&hp_min=200
{ "data": [ {
  "uuid": "b7d2f9a1-4c3e-…",
  "make": "Boston Whaler", "model": "Outrage 250",
  "year": 2021, "model_type": "Center Console",
  "length": "25", "beam": "8.5", "weight_lb": 5000,
  "engines": 2, "hp": 300,
  "hull": "Fiberglass", "fuel_type": "Gas" } ],
  "meta": { "total": 12, "per_page": 10 } }
# Build cascading selectors
GET /v1/boats/makes · GET /v1/boats/hull-types
# Builder, model year and USCG recalls from a hull ID
GET /v1/hin/{hin} · GET /v1/boats/{uuid}/recalls

Key endpoints

RESTful endpoints for the power boat database — search, lookup and a make/model/hull-type taxonomy with pagination metadata, plus comparable boats, U.S. Coast Guard recalls and HIN decoding. All JSON.

GET /v1/boats List power boats with filters and pagination — requires at least one of make, model, year or q.
GET /v1/boats/{uuid} Single power boat by UUID — full marine specifications for the vessel.
GET /v1/boats/makes Boat taxonomy: every manufacturer with its vessel count.
GET /v1/boats/models?make={make} Boat taxonomy: every model for a make — chain with /makes for cascading selectors.
GET /v1/boats/hull-types Boat taxonomy: every hull type with its vessel count.
GET /v1/boats?q={query} Full-text search across make and model — combinable with any spec filter.
GET /v1/boats/{uuid}/similar Up to 10 comparable boats: same category, length within ±10% and horsepower within ±25%, closest length first.
GET /v1/boats/{uuid}/recalls U.S. Coast Guard recall campaigns filed under the builder codes behind the boat's make, this model year first.
GET /v1/hin/{hin} Decode a Hull Identification Number: builder, serial, build month, model year, the builder's USCG recalls, and the accidents and documentation record reported under the hull.

Base URL: https://api.vehdb.com/v1

Query parameters

Range filters on horsepower, length and year — combine them all in one request.

Parameter Type Description Example
make string Filter by boat manufacturer Boston Whaler
model string Filter by model name Montauk 170
year integer Filter by exact model year 2022
year_min integer Minimum year (inclusive) 2018
year_max integer Maximum year (inclusive) 2024
hull_type string Filter by hull construction type Fiberglass
fuel_type string Filter by fuel type Gas
model_type string Filter by vessel category Center Console
hp_min integer Minimum horsepower (inclusive) 200
hp_max integer Maximum horsepower (inclusive) 500
length_min number Minimum vessel length in feet 20
length_max number Maximum vessel length in feet 35
q string Full-text search across make and model Whaler
page integer Page number for pagination 2

Every request needs at least one of make, model, year or q — the spec filters then narrow within it.

The fields marine businesses actually filter on

Eleven structured fields per vessel — identification, dimensions and the engine specs that drive quoting, insurance and fitment.

make

Manufacturer (Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, Grady-White…)

model

Model name or designation for the vessel

year

Model year of the power boat

model_type

Category (Center Console, Bowrider, Pontoon…)

length

Overall length of the vessel in feet

beam

Beam (width) of the vessel in feet

weight_lb

Dry weight of the vessel in pounds

engines

Number of engines fitted to the vessel

hp

Total engine horsepower rating

hull

Hull material (Fiberglass, Aluminum, Composite…)

fuel_type

Fuel type (Gas, Diesel, Electric…)

Example response

A sample JSON response from the boats list endpoint.

GET /v1/boats?make=Boston Whaler&year_min=2020 
{
  "data": [
    {
      "uuid": "a3c1e8f0-7b2d-4e5a-9f1c-6d8e2b4a7c0f",
      "make": "Boston Whaler",
      "model": "Montauk 170",
      "year": 2022,
      "model_type": "Center Console",
      "length": "17",
      "beam": "7.17",
      "weight_lb": 1700,
      "engines": 1,
      "hp": 90,
      "hull": "Fiberglass",
      "fuel_type": "Gas"
    },
    {
      "uuid": "b7d2f9a1-4c3e-5f6b-8a2d-1e9f3c5b7d0a",
      "make": "Boston Whaler",
      "model": "Outrage 250",
      "year": 2021,
      "model_type": "Center Console",
      "length": "25",
      "beam": "8.5",
      "weight_lb": 5000,
      "engines": 2,
      "hp": 300,
      "hull": "Fiberglass",
      "fuel_type": "Gas"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "current_page": 1, "last_page": 3, "per_page": 10, "total": 48 }
}

U.S. Coast Guard data

Builder codes, recalls and HIN decoding

Every Hull Identification Number opens with its builder's USCG Manufacturer Identification Code. VehDB mirrors those codes and the Coast Guard's recall campaigns and joins them to the boat catalogue: decode a HIN, or pull the recalls behind a make and model year.

The builder behind a HIN

The first three characters are the Manufacturer Identification Code: the company, its location, whether it is in or out of business, and the catalogue makes built under that code.

Build month and model year

Read from whichever of the three USCG date formats the HIN uses, so a hull built in November 2024 can carry a 2025 model year.

USCG recall campaigns

Campaigns filed under the builder's codes, this model year first, each with the models, HIN range, units and disposition the Coast Guard lists.

Decode a HIN

Counts one row plus one per recall. The values are illustrative, for a made-up builder.

GET /v1/hin/US-ABC12345K425
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN

→ { "hin": "ABC12345K425", "valid": true,
    "format": "current", "mic": "ABC",
    "serial": "12345",
    "built": { "month": 11, "year": 2024 },
    "model_year": 2025,
    "manufacturer": {
      "company": "EXAMPLE MARINE INC",
      "state": "FL", "status": "In Business", … },
    "catalogue": [ { "make": "Example Marine",
      "boats": 120, … } ],
    "recalls": [ { "model_year": 2025,
      "same_model_year": true,
      "hin": "ABC10001K425 - ABC10450K425",
      "units": 450, "disposition": "Open", … } ],
    "warnings": [],
    "history": {
      "accident_count": 1,
      "accidents": [ { "date": "2025-07-04", "state": "FL",
        "events": ["Collision with recreational vessel"],
        "vessel_damage_usd": 5000, "complete_loss": false,
        "vessels_involved": 2, … } ],
      "documentation": { "matched": false },
      "coverage": { "note": "No record found is not a clean record. …", … } } }
Get a free API key API reference
The three USCG date formats in the last four characters of a HIN
Format Used Last four characters Example
current Since August 1984 Month letter (A–L), production-year digit, model year K425: built November 2024, model year 2025
model_year November 1972 to July 1984 M, model year, month letter M83F: model year 1983, June
straight_year Until 1984 Month and year of production 0879: built August 1979

For a catalogue boat, GET /v1/boats/{uuid}/recalls lists the campaigns filed under the codes behind its make, this model year first, then those whose model text names the model, with the codes themselves. A parent company's shared code (White River Marine Group's, for Tracker, Mako and Ranger) contributes only the campaigns naming that brand. Recalls describe a make and model year, not one hull: check the campaign's HIN range, or decode the HIN.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety (public domain). 16,237 manufacturer codes and 1,697 recall campaigns mirrored.

Power Boats API FAQ

Common questions about VehDB's Power Boats API and marine data access.

The Power Boats API returns detailed marine vessel specifications in JSON format. Each boat record includes make, model, year, model type, hull material, overall length, beam, dry weight, engine count, horsepower, and fuel type. The database currently covers 84,300 boats from 50 manufacturers in North America.
Yes. GET /v1/boats/{uuid}/recalls returns the U.S. Coast Guard recall campaigns filed under the manufacturer codes behind the boat's make, this model year first, then campaigns whose model text names the model, with the builder codes themselves. A parent company's shared code, such as White River Marine Group's for Tracker, Mako and Ranger, contributes only the campaigns naming that brand. Recalls describe the make and model year, not one hull: check the campaign's HIN range against the boat, or decode its HIN.
Yes. GET /v1/hin/{hin} takes a Hull Identification Number (12 characters, or 14 with a country prefix such as US-) and returns the builder from its U.S. Coast Guard Manufacturer Identification Code (company, location, in or out of business), the serial, the build month and year and the model year in whichever of the three USCG date formats the HIN uses, the catalogue makes built under that code and the builder's USCG recall campaigns, that model year first. A decode counts one row plus one per recall.
Start from a base filter (make, model, year or q), then narrow with spec filters: hull_type, fuel_type, model_type, hp_min/hp_max for horsepower and length_min/length_max for vessel length. For example: ?make=Boston Whaler&hull_type=Fiberglass&hp_min=200. All filters combine in a single request.
No. VehDB is a boat specifications database, not a valuation service — records carry factual specs (dimensions, weight, engines, horsepower, hull, fuel type), not MSRPs or market values. Insurers and marketplaces typically join our spec records to their own pricing sources via the make/model/year taxonomy.
Yes. All list endpoints return paginated results with 25 boats per page by default. Use the ?page= parameter to navigate through pages. Every response includes a meta object with total count, current page, last page, and per-page values.
Include your API key in the Authorization header as a Bearer token with every request. Every plan includes API access — the free tier gives you 100 calls per month; higher tiers offer higher limits. Generate and manage tokens from your dashboard.

Also see the Cars, Motorcycles and Tire Sizes APIs, or the API overview.

Live numbers, not logos

Pulled from the production database and the NHTSA sync log, refreshed hourly.

7,208
API calls served this month
REST + MCP, since Oct 1
136
Teams calling the API
Teams with at least one metered call
498,265
Vehicle records
343,168 cars · 71,513 motorcycles · 83,584 boats
45,537
Tire-size fitments
OEM and alternate sizes

NHTSA recalls last synced

API pricing

Start on the free tier; every plan includes the REST API and the MCP server with the same token and quota.

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100 API calls/mo · 10/min
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10,000 API calls/mo · 60/min
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100,000 API calls/mo · 300/min
Start with Developer

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250,000+ API calls/mo · 600/min
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Full plan comparison and FAQ on the pricing page. Prices in USD, cancel anytime.

AI-NATIVE · MCP SERVER

Your AI agent's vehicle-data tools —not glue code.

VehDB ships a native Model Context Protocol server. Claude, Cursor or any MCP client searches boats, decodes a HIN (decode_hin) and pulls a boat's U.S. Coast Guard recalls (recalls_for_vehicle) as first-class tools — no wrappers, no scraping, no glue code to maintain.

  • Native MCP tools — search_vehicles, recalls_for_vehicle, complaints_for_vehicle, tire_sizes_for_vehicle, my_lists — callable by Claude, Cursor or any agent.
  • One-click AI connector in Claude; in any other MCP client, paste one URL and sign in: no token to copy. Scripts use an API token. Same data and quota as the REST API.
  • No scraping, no function-calling boilerplate, no schema drift — the agent gets typed, documented tools.
Explore the MCP server Connect your agent
One-click AI connectors
Add to Claude
claude_desktop_config.json 
{ "mcpServers": {
    "vehdb": { "url": "https://mcp.vehdb.com/mcp" }
  } }
# the agent calls a typed tool, not your scraper
tool search_vehicles(make="Toyota", year=2026)
tool tire_sizes_for_vehicle(uuid) → "235/65R17" …

Build with 84,300 power boat records.

Length, horsepower, hull and fuel type across 50 manufacturers — JSON responses, range filters, full pagination. Free tier: 100 calls/mo, no card.

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