In One Ear: Rimas redux

Published 12:15 am Thursday, June 6, 2024

Rimas Meleshyus, Astoria’s wayward aspiring around-the-world sailor and Kon Tiki drifter (who never learned how to sail), has turned up again, after being out of the limelight since 2019.

When we last saw Meleshyus, he was starving and rescued at sea from his badly damaged boat by some Vietnamese fishermen. Destitute, he was taken in by a homeless shelter in Vietnam, but couldn’t come back to the U.S. because he had not renewed his visa.

He was rescued for the nth time by Jean Mondeau — who donated the several boats Meleshyus had wrecked — and brought him back to the U.S. He was last looking forward to having another boat donated to him — which Mondeau had essentially agreed to do. Then Meleshyus dropped out of sight.

A Google Alert popped up with a somewhat fractured English article on Euro.ESeuro.com, posted around May 28, featuring a photo of a now 72-year-old Meleshyus, along with the headline: “He has been sleeping at the Punta Arenas Airport for 10 days.”

Apparently, he was rescued at sea in the Pacific Ocean last October after being shipwrecked again. The French cruiser Le Commandant-Charcot, en route to Chile, rescued him. He arrived in Punta Arenas on Nov. 3, was admitted to Chile “for humanitarian reasons,” and taken in by a family. Never one to sit still, he traveled around on money he received from selling cameras and navigation equipment from the last shipwreck.

Upon returning from his travels, surprise, surprise, it was revealed he lost his papers in the shipwreck, so he can’t establish immigration status in Chile, so he is unable to leave the country. And, his bank account and phone are blocked, which is how he wound up at the airport, where the personnel have given him clothes and some food.

Has he given up sailing? Nope, although who will give him another boat to wreck is yet to be revealed.

“I would like to sail under the Chilean flag from Patagonia (the southern end of South America),” Meleshyus declared. “I really like sailing, and I would like to prepare for a November or December 2024 travel to the Pacific islands, such as Juan Fernández and others.” Stay tuned. (Photo: Euro.ESeuro.com)