Elleda Wilson: Late bloomer
Jun. 16—Astoria's wayward sailor, Russian immigrant Rimas Meleshyus, in his 60s, made several bungled attempts to sail across the Pacific, and dreamed of circumnavigating the globe. You had to admire his gumption, and he might actually have got 'er done, if only he'd bothered to learn how to sail.
The glory goes to Kenichi Horie who, at 83, has been declared the oldest person to make a solo nonstop Pacific Ocean crossing, from San Francisco to Japan, the Associated Press reports. Apparently, he is none the worse for the wear after 69 days at sea. He brought medicine with him, but only needed eye drops and some plasters.
The intrepid sailor already has one record: In 1962, he became the first person to successfully complete a solo nonstop sail in the opposite direction, from Japan to San Francisco. And, he sailed around the world in 1974.
His latest voyage, "shows how healthy I am," he explained. "I'm still in the middle of my youth." And, he's not done sailing, either, declaring, "I will keep up my work to be a late bloomer." (Photo: Kyodo News/AP)
