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Thread: Kiene's was one of the first Metal Head dealers in California.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default Kiene's was one of the first Metal Head dealers in California.

    I remember one day when the founding owner of Metal Head boats drove into our parking lot with a 10' Metal Head pram.

    Our staff and customers went wild at the site of this beautiful jewel of a boat.

    The design and quality was world class and many were sold right away.

    MH had an 8 foot and 10 foot to start with and they did design and produce a few 12 foot mini jet sleds.

    A good friend ordered one of these rare 12' Jet sleds, but George really never used it much.

    He told me after some years that he just wanted to move it on to someone who would use it.

    I told another good friend, Bruce, that it was available and how special and rare it was so he instantly bought.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	12' Jet.png 
Views:	428 
Size:	1.12 MB 
ID:	16263

    It is not for sale but it it was the price would be substantial.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Folsom
    Posts
    20

    Default

    Do you remember who owned Metal Head?

  3. #3
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    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post
    I remember one day when the founding owner of Metal Head boats drove into our parking lot with a 10' Metal Head pram.

    Our staff and customers went wild at the site of this beautiful jewel of a boat.

    The design and quality was world class and many were sold right away.

    MH had an 8 foot and 10 foot to start with and they did design and produce a few 12 foot mini jet sleds.

    A good friend ordered one of these rare 12' Jet sleds, but George really never used it much.

    He told me after some years that he just wanted to move it on to someone who would use it.

    I told another good friend, Bruce, that it was available and how special and rare it was so he instantly bought.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	12' Jet.png 
Views:	428 
Size:	1.12 MB 
ID:	16263

    It is not for sale but it it was the price would be substantial.
    That’s an awesome rig

  4. #4
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    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BruceB View Post
    Do you remember who owned Metal Head?
    He went by an alias, Richard Parker, that everyone knew him by but his real name was Peter McFarlane.

    He ended up in prison for drug related crimes in his previous life.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #5
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    Oct 2015
    Location
    Santa Rosa, Calif
    Posts
    1,015

    Default

    Bill,

    I knew Richard very well, and had actually been to his house a few times picking up boats. He was a straight up guy (no bullshit) and he keep his word on any and all deals we had together, I liked him. I was surprised as everybody else about the real truth about the guy. Very interesting how he got caught.

    Carl Blackledge

  6. #6
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    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Default

    We heard he was away from his shop and left a gal friend there.

    Had a burglary and the police took fingerprints and that is how he was caught.

    My friend has a bunch of newspaper clippings about the whole thing.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Santa Rosa, Calif
    Posts
    1,015

    Default

    Bill,

    Pretty much the same story I heard. Him and his girlfriend broke up and a few days later somebody broke into his house, so the police were called and as you said they took finger prints found out somebody there was a fugitive, pretty stupid move from a very smart guy.

    Carl Blackledge

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Fair Oaks
    Posts
    665

    Default

    Actually, I was the original owner of that 12' sled in the photo. Richard brought it down for me on spec and I bought it. He stayed at the house a couple of days. He was a bit odd, but seemed like a good guy. If you didn't track the articles, he wasn't just any drug dealer, he was international and a pretty big deal.

    https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03...7260764139600/

    The big question is why boats? Few make money in that business and it's a lot of work. Applegate Valley is certainly popular for drugs, so maybe it was a good cover for him in a place that worked for his business.

    The Metalhead sled was pure artwork. Most of the welding was done by guys working for larger operations that were moonlighting. I had the trailer built under the boat. The Tomco guys were so enamored with the sled they practically gave me that trailer.

    For me it wasn't a great fit--it was truly a specialty boat that I didn't use much either. Great on the American but totally flat bottom and any chop was a spine crusher. I remember two of us got stuck on Crowley one afternoon in those winds about a mile from the marina. Every wave was torture. Still a little stud, love it for what it was.
    Last edited by JAWallace; 11-13-2020 at 11:06 PM.

  9. #9
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    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Thanks John for the added history and correction.....I did not that.

    What motor did you have on it?

    PS: I think you have had more boats than I have?




    PS2: Wonder if he is still in prison?
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Fair Oaks
    Posts
    665

    Default

    Bill, I had a 15 HP Johnson 2S short shaft on that boat that I pulled from the 14' aluminum Delta brand boat I had previously. That OMC motor was the only 2S I've ever had that I actually liked. Bombproof, always started.

    I believe my next boat was my second Whaler, a first gen 13' Dauntless I bought from Kevin Doran. I loved fishing with Kevin on it previously, he is the one who introduced me to the Delta, but I found it to be quite tender on the Delta, somewhat similar to a Classic 15' Whaler but actually worse for secondary stability, especially with two people. A very cool looking craft with a great design on paper, but with some issues corrected later on in the model years.

    I think I am on boat #26. I might be a few numbers off. The Whaler 150 Sport may be the last fishing boat I'll ever own, it is PERFECT for me. Between this one and Kevin's I had a 170 Montauk that I didn't like at all--too big and too far off the water, enough to lose intimacy as a fly fisher, in anything smaller than the Delta. Great boat for the D and for the salt, but a classic Montauk would have been much better.

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