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You found/bought/inherited a small sailboat,

and don't know what kind it is.

Identification

Is there anything on the sail?

Sail Insignia

About a quarter of a way down from the top of the sail there should be a picture of something; that's the sail insignia. If the sails are the right sails for the boat, the sail insignia will identify what kind of boat it is. This sail has a picture of a sunfish, indicating it's a Sunfish sailboat. Other pictures can be identified in this

Excellent source of insignias:
download large file: Sail Insignias, 2MG.

Is there a serial number on the boat?

HIN number

If the boat was manufactured after 1972, it should, by law, have a twelve digit Hull Identification Number (HIN) engraved/embedded on the transom (the back/rear-end of the boat). The first three letters identify the manufacturer. Go to the US Coast Guard Database and look it up.

The last two digits are usually the year the boat was built.

If there is no HIN number

Look for a plate or sticker on the boat which might indicate a builder's name, state, or anything about the boat. Try entering this information into the US Coast Guard Database.

There may be a state licensing number on the bow: in Michigan, this number starts with MC and is usually displayed in stick-on letters on both sides of the bow (front) of the boat. If the boat is/was licensed, there was a registration (like a car registration) issued to the owner. That registration paper may hold some info about the boat.

Browse photos

There are many board boats which look similar to a Sunfish. Browse a
list of small board boats with links to photos