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JROJERS,
Thank you. I did in fact follow the link which you supplied for Sea Wolf, but unfortunately they don't build catamarans. As it turns out, the marine architect that designed boats for Maxweld was also one of the victims and wasn't paid for his design work on a 47' landing craft that Maxweld built for a client in Alaska. I'm seriously considering purchasing these plans and finding a builder to build me one of these boats. I always liked Maxweld boats, but I don't like how he hurt so many people. I understand that times are hard, but to take advantage of his client's, workers and suppliers is a disgrace. They (he and his wife) knew all along that they were going down, but still tried to take advantage of people. It's down right criminal.
First off let me say that I truly feel and have siad from the beginning that the people most hurt by this are the clients that did'nt receive what they had already paid for. That siad I also feel like someone who knows a little about the heathershaws side of this should chime in so here goes. The statement I read regarding the big hitter Oil company getting screwed by Andy is unfounded I'd like to here some details on how he screwed them. My son worked for Maxweld and they worked upwards of 80 hrs a week to make this Big hitter happy I don't believe for 1 second that Andy or Debbie Ever thought they would leave people high and dry.I think they took a great risk with the promise of a great reward by putting all there eggs in one basket trying to get the "oil company's" future business.This Oil company never intended on keeping there word and as a result the cash flow was exhausted and the rest is history. I will Agree that they used bad business judgement that led to a lot of people getting the shaft but it should be known that Debbie and Andy have lost everything they worked for 25 years to build. As far as criminal prosicution, I certainly hope that does'nt happen as they have two young children in 1rst grade, and bad business does not equal fraud. It should also be noted that Maxweld boats payed all there employee's in full, not saying they should get an attaboy for that just reading earlier posts I feel its relivent to this thread. I'm not here to get into an arguement with anyone I wish this had'nt happened as most here probably do, but businesses go out of business with casualties I.E. vedors clients suppliers and workers everyday in this country and what do you do, you can sue and you can call for a hanging and you can go on forums and put in your 2 cents but it rarely changes anything. In the end the courts will decide maybe thier insurance will pay out I don't know but what I do know is Andy and Debbie would never have done anything harmful to another human being with ill intent and on purpose.As for trying to pry 125,000 out of someone knowing they were going down I think they were trying everything they could to sell another boat to keep the company afloat buying time, in turn keeping their empoyee's and other clients from suffering there losses, can you really blame them?
I wish all of you the best
RUDMOVER,
I wish it were that easy and that innocent, but it wasn't. Just because people have little kids in first grade, doesn't mean that they didn't take horrible advantage of their customers and suppliers. Also, it is very easy to point the finger at the company that had Maxweld build their crew boats and try to cast blame in that direction, but they too were victims of this situation and lost a great deal of money as well. The "Hull Truth" will be told, and when it is, you will come to find that it was the owner of the crew boats that made sure that payroll was met to keep your son and every other employee at Maxweld working just so he could meet his contractual schedule with the oil company that he was working for. He paid for his boat 1 and 1/2 times the agreed cost, made payroll for all the workers and lost his contract because he was lied to.
Anything else isn't the Hull Truth! Andy and Debbie know what they did here. Don't kid yourself. Call and talk to any of their suppliers...I did. They never paid the cut shop in Portland for cutting the Aluminum. Hell, that was the first step after ordering the aluminum. That was early on in the process of constructing a boat.
To the folks that knew the crew at Maxweld, I pass on my sincere condolences that they had their lives turned upside down by this event, especially during these tough economic times. Most of them were true craftsmen, and were a pleasure to deal with. I'm sure they'll land on their feet - people with their skills and talents always do. A fine group of people, and I don't blame them in the slightest for what happened.
I have a friend up here in Juneau that also prepaid for the aluminum and put money down on a new boat. It appears doubtful that the aluminum was ever ordered, and he is out that money.
The likely turn of events from what I can piece together is that Maxweld got behind the ball financially, and had to rely on new deposits to fund the existing boats under production. As long as new deposits came in he could stay afloat, but with the first dip in new sales, probably due to the slowing economy, like a 'ponzi scheme', it collapsed. I would suspect his ability to get credit was also impacted by the banking crisis. And I would agree that their desperate financial situation likely played into Andy's behavior, bringing out the worst.
I never dealt with Debbie - she didn't seem involved with the business when I was dealing with them, but I spoke with her at the end and she told me she was getting more involved at that point. I was impressed that she seemed no-nonsense and straight-forward - just what they needed. Within a couple months they had folded, so I'm not sure what Debbie's role was.
The boat just ahead of mine was an absolute disaster for everyone involved. It's the boat that's the subject of the $416K lawsuit that's linked to in this forum. When I was down inspecting my boat, that boat was in the next bay, fully painted, curtains in the windows, it was done...except that the Maxweld boys were busy grinding off the stern of the boat in preparation of extending the boat several more feet - they had run into major trim problems during sea trials that could only be corrected with more hull. And then that led to another whole set of problems and it cascaded from there. That boat was nearly two years late getting out the door I understand, and was probably a big reason why my boat was so delayed. Not sure if the owner of that boat was the oil exec - I don't think so since it was headed to SE Alaska as a charter boat.
Sailor09, I would give Armstrong Marine in Port Angeles a strong endorsement. My previous boat was a 28 ft Armstrong Cat (built while they were still located in BC) and I have to say that they were an absolute pleasure to deal with. They delivered a high quality boat for a good price on time. I know several other Armstrong boat owners who have similar reports. When upgrading from my Armstrong, I chose Maxweld because I liked their design a bit better, and they quoted me a good price. I now regret that I didn't stick with Armstrong for the next one. I sold my Armstrong after 9 years for more than I paid for it - these cats hold their value.
Today I managed to track down the owner of the last two crew boats that left Maxwelds yard and got his take on the entire Maxweld mess. Two 47' Landing Cats were built for use as passenger / light cargo transports, servicing the oil industry in Prudhoe Bay. During construction of the first vessel, Andy kept reporting that the boat was on schedule and that everything was "awesome". One week prior to the agreed upon delivery date, the owners representative and boat crew showed up in Hebo to prepare for sea trials and their trip to Valdez Alaska. Upon arrival they were shocked to find a mere shell of a boat with nothing installed. Engines and jets were not even on site. They decided to keep their rep on site to ride herd bull on that boat until it sailed north. It was one month late and they almost lost their contract.
They had a second boat that was to be two weeks behind the first. Obviously, this boat was now way behind schedule. Again, Andy kept reporting that everything was "awesome" and that the second boat was coming together much faster than the third. The deilvery date was changed and Andy assured them that he would be on time. Again, the company sent down their rep. This time when he arrived things were much worse. When he asked questions he recieved nothing but lies, so he took it upon himself to contact the vendors. He started with Haloton and then Hamilton Jet...nothing had been ordered. They confronted Andy who informed them that he'd run out of money (their money) and was working on getting a loan by refinancing his shop. With no time to spare and a very important contract on the line, the comapny rep basically took charge of the construction of the second boat to complete it and get it out of the yard. In the interim, they lost that contrat for the 2009 season, dumped another $250,000.00 into parts and equipment and then picked up onemonths payroll to ensure that the vessel was completed. When they asked for all of the names of the crew that needed payroll covered, Debbie provided a list on names and payroll amounts for approximately 20 employee's. They were astounded when the payroll list included Debbie, Andy, their son and daughter as well!
The owner did tell me that he had every intention of building many more boats with Andy. He said that had Andy have completed these boats on time, he would have immediately ordered 2 or three more for the 2010 season. But, he said that the constant lies were like nothing he'd ever experienced. He is currently talking with several boat builders to build more boats for next season.
Bottom line, Andy really screwed up. In an economy like this, an angle landed on his shoulder, ordered two 47' boats and dropped some real money on the project with a promise of more to come. Most boat builders in this day and age would have traded their eye-teeth for a client like this. How stupid can you be?
Wow. That's a stunning story Sailor. And far worse than I imagined. And I believe it. What was the timeframe? I'm just feeling luckier and luckier that I actually got my boat.
There was a 35' landing craft built a couple boats ahead of mine that headed to Kodiak, about a year ago now. The hull and power plant was identical to mine. I'd be VERY interested to talk to the owner and compare performance notes. The fuel economy reported by the delivery captain on that boat was far better than on mine, and I'd like to get some real world data. Any chance you know the boat? I don't have a name, but it was going to be associated with a fishing lodge.
I am deeply appalled and shocked by this information. It sickens me greatly. I am very glad Sailor you didnt put down your deposit and I am glad Nora you did get your boat. I cant believe Debbie and Andy would accept payroll for themselves and two of their children, what were they thinking? Where did the money go from those two boats? Did they actually get paid for building those boats? Was there any profit from those boats of that size? And actually how long did the wages get paid for while the employees worked around the clock to finish those boats? Well, the hull truth will be coming out, now I can see why Debbie and Andy ran off and are in hiding.
Where the money went is anyone's guess. It didn't go to the suppliers. He was so far in debt on the boats in the yard, that to proceed with the crew boats he probably had to play catch up. Who knows, but I know that he had no intentions of building a boat for me when he was calling me for a deposit. How could he have expected to build my boat? With everything that was crumbling down all around him, he still was willing to take money from someone else on the way down. He and his wife had absolutely no regard for anyone other than themselves.
I didn't know that they had skipped town. What about his home and shop? He must still expect to salvage something if they sell. Did the bank foreclose on them?
Wow. That's a stunning story Sailor. And far worse than I imagined. And I believe it. What was the timeframe? I'm just feeling luckier and luckier that I actually got my boat.
There was a 35' landing craft built a couple boats ahead of mine that headed to Kodiak, about a year ago now. The hull and power plant was identical to mine. I'd be VERY interested to talk to the owner and compare performance notes. The fuel economy reported by the delivery captain on that boat was far better than on mine, and I'd like to get some real world data. Any chance you know the boat? I don't have a name, but it was going to be associated with a fishing lodge.
There are actually three Maxwelds working over here out of lodges. I'm not sure which lodge has the 35' landing cat, but I have seen it in the Kodiak harbor a few times. I'll find out for you and get back.
Nora Jayne,
Wow...what a shame. I went down to Hebo when my buddy started his boat and saw the shop. It was a nice place and the crew were all great guys and very hard workers. For a shop that size to fold in a small town like Hebo is a big hit for a small community. They probably won't sell it in this economy. Don't know why anyone would want to buy a shop like that in Hebo. The dairy industry is suffering down there right now and the unemployment rate in Oregon is like 13%. The bank will probably get it way before it sells.
I wonder what happenned to all the unfinished boats? Might want to keep an eye out and see if any come up for sale. I'd like to get my hands on one and finish it myself. If you hear of anything like that let me know.
I recently talked with Joe at Armstrong Boats in Bellingham. He has a client with an un-finished 40' Maxweld, no engines, interior, ect. that would like to get out from under it. You might give him a call if your interested. (360) 457-5752
Also, there is a 2001, 36' Maxweld, twin Cummins 315 for sale on Yachtworld.com.
Curious, what did Andy Heathershaw quote you for a finished 34' cat?
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Latest news in the Maxweld saga: It appears that more lawsuits have been waged against Maxweld. Also, he took $350,000.00 from an ailing 80 year old man who was hoping to get the boat that he'd alway's dreamed of. He also was building a boat for a handicapped man in a wheelchair and he screwed him over too. It's not that Andy was a bad business man folks...it's that Andy and his wife are a pair of low-down, dirty con-artists that have a total disregard for the financial pains that they caused so many people who trusted them. I have called and spoken to 10 different people, including those who have filed suits and the stories are all the same. They were lied to and cheated by Andy, but moreover they almost all feel that his wife was the mastermind behind the entire mess! It's not "too bad" that they are not making boats anymore, it's "too bad" that they are not in jail...yet!
Seasiren...the truth will come out. There are several investigators trying to piece this story together right now. What people need to understand here is that what happened to Maxweld Boats started long before the economic down-turn. The problem isn't that Maxweld ran out of money and couldn't finish the boats, it's that they took the money with no intentions of spending it on finishing the boats. The reason that they have not formally filed for bankruptcy is because they personally have the money and assests to satisfy a large portion of their debts. If they file banckruptcy, the courts will examine their business records and figure out where the money went. It's really simple math and it is against the law to embezzle money from a corporation,even if you own the corporation! They took the money and kept it, plain and simple!
Those two crew boats in Alaska...they were paid over one million dollars for them yet, the aluminum supplier and the cut shop never were paid. The engines and the jets were not paid for ether. So, where is that money? They didn't use it to finish any of the other boats in line ahead of the two crew boats. They stole it! Used what little they had to just to keep their suppliers at bay and stole the rest.
I know things that I wish I could share here, but can't for risk of hurting the ongoing investigation. Bottom line is that Andy and his wife will face prosecution for this and they can't run and hide from it. They are in big trouble. I also know that there are people very interested in speaking to those craftsmen who were left out in the cold. If you know any of them, they should probably seek out some advice from the department of labor...they were actually cheated too, but don't know it yet.
They took advantage of so many people and just walked away. Andy called me after his shop was gutted and his house was emptied and told me how great everything was and how he really wanted to build my boat. He didn't even have a shop anymore and had all these lawsuits against him. So, he picks up the phone and calls me, a retired man living on my life savings and tried to con me out of a deposit! This is why I'm pissed off and I will do everything I can to help others know to beware. The more I learn about them, the more furious I get!
Maybe you could start by letting people in your small community know what kind of people they are and what you have learned about them. They aren't going to be on their high horses for very long.
OK first off lets quit with the hiding behind stupid user names mine is Chad Larimore and I happen to be Andy's sisters boyfriend for the lat 10 years. I have personally talked with Andy and if everything you say is true I have no problem eating crow, that siad I'm not buying what your selling, both you Sailor and you sea siren are sounding a lot like a cackling hen house and your both just feeding off of each other. Perhaps some of the people your talking to are putting there spin on their dealings with Maxweld as I'm sure Andy has done with me but the two of you sure do seem to be reveling in all these other peoples problems. Perhaps you could start your own tabloid style blogs and I'm sure you'd get a lot of hits. I siad it before and I'll go ahead and repeat myself the courts will decide what really went down, as for your info it's all just hearsay I talked to so and so and he told me Yada yada yada. I understand being pissed if you really feel you or some friends of yours got screwed but it really comes off as if your enjoying yourselves here. I actually think the two of you should go out on a date maybe your cyber love affair could blossom into somthing truelly beautiful. has either of you lost a dime? Would Andy and debbie going to jail make you feel real good like you had a hand in it or something. I eagerly await your responces (and your names)
forever yours Chad
Chad, just because you have known your girlfriends brother for 10 years, doesnt mean you know everything that goes on in their household or business. I am sure you want to believe in the good of Andy, but what monies are they living on now? or should I say who's? and why did they need to move if they are so innocent?
