Maine Design Company, Marine Surveyor

Dave Woodman _{on Google}

Feb 2nd, 2021

Mike McHenry of Maine Design surveyed our boat before we purchased her. He was incredibly well versed in matters marine and did an outstanding job finding issues which I needed to know about as a new owner. I've been on the water in boats large and small for (can't believe it) 65 years and have hired several surveyors in the past. Mike is a standout. I have no hesitation in recommending him.

Richard Gard _{on Google}

Jul 31st, 2019

I am a professor of conducting and musical analysis, and I appreciate diligent research, probing questions, clear analysis, and well written documents illustrated with useful graphics and photos. I have bought and sold seven boats, and reviewed many more purchase surveys. In my opinion the survey report work of Maine Design Company is exemplary.
I originally read a survey report by Maine Design which was prepared for another party. I found the work and analysis to be top quality. I subsequently hired Tom Adams/ Maine Design to complete an additional survey of the same vessel. The survey was excellent and was accepted by a lender and insurance company.
At all times Tom was extremely helpful, responsive, and to the point with his work, plans, and analysis. He and Mike McHenry are the best surveyors I've seen and read.
I highly recommend Maine Design Company for marine repurchase surveys.

John Reilley _{on Google}

Jul 30th, 2017

Thorough and professional. I found Tom through his accreditation source and was pleased by his rapid replies to all my emails and phone calls. He discussed his approach to the survey with me beforehand and asked for my focus areas and concerns. We agreed to a flexible survey based on weather- so that he could perform the most complete inspection possible given the realities of a Maine winter. His survey was simple enough to understand, yet provided details on critical concerns. His guidance and professional wisdom helped me to make key decisions about my vessel search. I would use him again if I were to purchase a boat in Maine!

Ross Mann _{on Google}

Jan 8th, 2017

I was in the process of evaluating a 41 foot, 10 year old catamaran for purchase and wanted to get a pre-purchase survey done. After carefully reviewing all I could find about all the surveyors within 150 miles of where the boat was located I selected Tom Lokocz of Maine Design Company.
His credentials were exceptional for what I needed: 1) he had spent his life around boats, to include doing repair work himself, 2) he has what few surveyors have . . both a BS and an MS in mechanical engineering, 3) he is accredited with several prestigious surveyor accreditation groups, and 4) the sample survey that he provided on my request showed great thoroughness and attention to detail.
I too have spent a great deal of time around boats and, in fact, worked as a shipwright for a number of years in the full range of marine repair. Therefore I knew that I could do quite a good survey on my own, but yet was willing to pay for the services of a professional because I could appreciate the value that could be derived from having an 'expert' set of eyes looking for potential problems. In the end I was quite pleased with Tom's work and felt the time and expense of the survey were worth every penny!
Due to the likelihood of bad weather on the scheduled day for the survey Tom visited the boat by himself the prior day so that he could take some moisture measurements of the hull. Then on 'survey day' we met at the boat and I followed him around to observe his process. His approach is very organized and he systematically examined virtually every square inch of the boat from 'stem to stern'. During this time he was taking notes and photographs which were later included within the final survey.
I had flown in to Maine from North Carolina and had some time constraints in order to catch a returning flight late that afternoon. Tom was agreeable to work with me within my limited schedule such that he worked straight through for a solid six hours without stopping for lunch or even a break!
It took him a few days to prepare the finished survey which he e-mailed to me in PDF form. The survey itself was much like his examination, meticulous, quite complete and most of all accurate and fair.
Later I found the survey proved to be essential in showing the seller the truth about the condition of the boat and was certainly a tremendous help in getting the price to a level that was truly fair. I highly recommend Tom and Maine Design Company!

VJ Steinglass _{on Google}

Jan 23rd, 2016

This is a review of a marine survey prepared by Mike McHenry, an employee of Maine Design Co. of Appleton, Maine.
Mr. McHenry has a BS in economics, and has worked over the years as a mate, captain, and owner of a traditional ketch in the Windjammer fleet, and as a journalist. He is an associate surveyor registered with the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors. Associate surveyors in the Society have not yet qualified as an accredited marine surveyor.
As of this date, Maine Design Company and it's owner, Tom Lokocz Adams, is not a member of The American Boat and Yacht Council nor the National Association of Marine Surveyors.
I was present during the time Mr.McHenry was gathering information for his survey. After some time, he indicated that he was finished with the survey. At that point I left the boatyard. I stopped by about 1/2 hour later, and Mr. McHenry was still on my boat, proceeding in my absence, without my permission. This is when I started to have misgivings.
Throughout Mr. McHenry's report to the prospective buyer, the words "appears", "may be compromised", "remove for inspection", "repair if necessary"", "inspect, replace or repair as necessary" appear repeatedly. His list of "inspect and repair as necessary" items were all designated "urgent and must be performed'", including dropping the keel and removing the center board. Although Mr. McHenry found no defects in the systems, the prospective buyer would need to spend close to $20,000
to carry out these additional inspections.
In summary, you may not be surprised that the buyer Mr. McHenry worked for, who truly loved the boat and was over-the-moon excited about owning her, walked away from the contract.
In my opinion, Mr, McHenry was not qualified to survey this fiberglass sloop. The long list of expensive inspections that he required did not help the buyer, but merely protected Captain McHenry’s posterior.