Sail Number: Q 15
Type: Q Class
LOA: 53’0″ / 16.15m – LWL: 35’3″ / 10.75m – Beam: 8’10” / 2.46m – Draft: 7’0” / 2.13m – Hull Number: – Designer: Frank C. Paine – Original Owner: Harold S. Wheelock – Current Owner: Scott Pavelchik – Year Built: 1929 – Built By: George F. Lawley & Son – Hull Material: Wood – Gross Displacement: – Sail Area: 883 sq ft – Engine Model: Univ. Atomic-4 – Home Port: Milwaukee, WI – Status: Scuttled
Historical:
The longest Q ever built, CARA MIA was designed by Frank Paine and built by Lawley. Eighteen Qs were built for Marblehead racing which lasted for eleven years.
1948 Ole Karas converted her from a sloop to a yawl, gaining two hours of handicap, setting a Chicago-Mackinac corrected time record of 30 hours, three minutes and 21 seconds.
Known Racing History:
1945, ‘47, ’48 and ’49 — Chicago-Mackinac – Winner
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner/Guardian: (1929) Harold S. Wheelock
Owner/Guardian: Leland L. (Ole) Karas, Chicago Yacht Club
Owner/Guardian: (1957) John Walch
Owner/Guardian: Otto Seifert
Owner/Guardian: Scott Pavelchik
Comments
James Cady – April 26, 2017
I sailed on the Cara Mia in about 1958, as my brother in law, Richard L. Vennell was the navigator, very experienced sailor, and good friend of the owner, Otto Seifert. Cara Mia was harbored at that time at the Chicago Yacht Club. I was with them in a race to Michigan City, but was too young and inexperienced to race to Mackinac. I slept in the right rear lazzerette. The whole experience is something I will never forget.
Marilyn Kinsey – June 6, 2018
I am working on a historical summary of the Escanaba Yacht Club from 1934 to 1959, with reference to the purchase of Cara Mia by John Walch in ~1957. The photo on this website is labeled as Cara Mia, but the boat shown does not look like a 53′ Q boat.
Both photos are most definitely Cara Mia the 53′ Q I have a set of her lines drawings, and sail plan.