In One Ear: Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main

Its time for an update on intrepid 61-year-old Russian immigrant Rimas Meleshyus, pictured, who sailed off into the sunset from the North Coast in 2013 in his 24-foot San Juan, Pier Pressure and little knowledge of sailing or marine navigation. He was trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first to round Cape Horn, South America, one of the most treacherous maritime routes on earth, in such a small boat.

In what was likely a stroke of good luck for him, the boats engine died off Baja, Calif., en route to Cape Horn where he likely would have perished so he decided to follow the trade winds instead, eventually winding up in Hawaii last October. It should be noted that he found the islands using a GPS designed for use in a car.

After spending a few months in Hawaii getting the boat fixed and geared up again, according to his Facebook page, he took off again on Jan. 26, and is averaging 36 miles a day. But hes not heading south. Nope, not this time. Hes headed back to San Francisco.

There was a bit of a kerfuffle one morning last week when Rimas sent out a message to a friend saying, I lost my life raft, in danger now. The friend contacted the Honolulu District Coast Guard, who could not raise him by cellphone, computer or satellite and sent an aircraft, a cutter and two other vessels to find him. Finally, a second message was received in the afternoon saying he was OK, and the search was called off.

Now he checks in a couple of times a day on his Facebook page, with a link to a map showing where he is, and everyone breathes a lot easier.

Want to follow his travels? Just friend him at www.facebook.com/rimas.meleshyus

Elleda Wilson