"Golden Rule" Arrives in San Francisco Bay

The four crew members of the Golden Rule were greeted with hugs and leis when they arrived at Schoonmaker Point Marina in Sausalito on June 1. Photo by Gerry Condon, used with permission.

By Gerry Condon* and WILPF Member Helen Jaccard

July 2021

The Golden Rule crew and supporters were greatly relieved the morning of June 1 as the historic anti-nuclear sailboat arrived safely into San Francisco Bay after a grueling 29 days at sea and a difficult night at Drake’s Bay, just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. The engine, which charges the batteries, quit four days before. But it’s a sailboat and they continued to sail until they got into the lee side of Point Reyes, where they ran out of wind. That was the night that the batteries finally died, so they had no navigation lights. It was still manageable until a thick fog rolled into Drake's Bay. We’d like to thank the Horseshoe Bay Coast Guard, BoatUS, Vessel Traffic Service, and the shore support team that stayed up all night to coordinate the rescue.  

The Golden Rule and her four crew members, Captain Kiko Johnston-Kitazawa of Hilo, Big Island, Hawai'i, Captain Malinda Anderson of Kona, Big Island, Hawai'i, Michelle Kanoelehua Marsonette of Albany, Oregon, and Nolan Anderson of Seattle, Washington, were greeted at Schoonmaker Point Marina with hugs and leis upon their arrival. Happy and relieved, they wanted nothing more than hot showers, a good meal, and sleep. With shifts of four hours on and four hours off, and exposed to the open sea, they were short on sleep, and often cold and wet.

It was quite an ordeal to sail this small wooden boat eastward across the Pacific Ocean, where the wind can be much less stable than going to Hawai’i.

“We are so grateful to this brave crew of two women and two men,” said Col. Ann Wright, who saw the crew off from Honolulu and welcomed them upon their arrival in Sausalito. “A cross-ocean voyage in a small wooden sailboat takes courage, sacrifice, and sustained effort, just what it will take to end the threat of nuclear war.”

Captain Kiko Johnston-Kitazawa agreed: “We were weeks out at sea without any sign of land, and then suddenly we are here. This is a good metaphor for the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons.”

The San Francisco Chronicle heralded the arrival of the Golden Rule with a fine article by Jessica Flores, including stunning photos on the paper’s front page as well as the front and back page of the local section. Dennis Bernstein interviewed Captain Kiko Johnson-Kitazawa, Captain Malinda Anderson, Col. Ann Wright, and project manager Helen Jaccard for 30 minutes in this June 3 episode of KPFA's Flashpoints.

Come See the Golden Rule in Berkeley

©Noah Berger, San Francisco Chronicle, used with permission of the photographer.

The Golden Rule will remain in the San Francisco Bay (Berkeley Marina) throughout the summer. Those wishing to visit the boat, to crew, or to go out sailing in San Francisco Bay, can contact project manager Helen Jaccard at vfpgoldenruleproject@gmail.com or call her at 206-992-6364. Helen will also be happy to arrange a presentation for your organization, school, or church.

Next Up: The Great Loop!

In the fall, Golden Rule will embark on another epic voyage. She will sail the “Great Loop,” down the Mississippi River, along the Gulf Coast, around Florida, up the East Coast, and through the Great Lakes, and down the Illinois and Tennessee Rivers, stopping for events in over 80 communities, often in areas where US nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants are located. This voyage will take over one year.

If you know of people along the route who can crew or help organize speaking arrangements, please contact Helen Jaccard.

Help Keep the Wind in Golden Rule’s Sails

Your donations keep the Golden Rule sailing. You can mail a check to VFP Golden Rule Project, PO Box 87, Somoa, CA 95564, or you can donate online at www.vfpgoldenrule.org.

“We are sailing for a nuclear-free world and a peaceful, sustainable future,” says Helen Jaccard. “What better way to bring a message of peace and sustainability than this beautiful sailboat and its storied history, which inspires us and gives us hope for the future.”

For more information, contact Helen Jaccard at vfpgoldenruleproject@gmail.com or 206-992-6364.
 

*Gerry Condon serves as president of the Golden Rule Committee, which manages the day-to-day operations of the Golden Rule. He is a former president of Veterans for Peace, and he serves on the Administrative Committee of United For Peace and Justice.