Nuclear abolition boat sails again!

By Helen Jaccard

The 30-foot sail boat that tried to sail to the Marshall Islands in 1958 to interfere with testing of nuclear bombs has been lovingly restored and has completed her first voyage since restoration.  WILPF member Helen Jaccard was part of the crew from Humboldt Bay to San Diego, arriving on August 1, 2015.

The Golden Rule and her crew were instrumental in stopping atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. Her mission is to educate a new generation about the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear power.  Jane Addams Peace Association helped the project come to fruition with a generous grant that was used to purchase safety equipment.  Humboldt Bay WILPF also contributed to the project, which allowed us to purchase emergency strobe lights for our life vests.

Veterans For Peace, with the help of dozens of volunteers and hundreds of supporters including Jane Addams Peace Association and Humboldt Bay WILPF, has completed the restoration of the Golden Rule sail boat.  We had a grand entrance to San Diego on August 2 with at least three local television channels covering the event on the evening news!  Crew member and WILPFer Helen Jaccard appeared on Channel 10.

History

The original crew of Golden Rule was from a group of Quakers and antinuclear activists who brought “Hiroshima Maidens” to New York for reconstructive surgery.  They learned of the experiences of these Hiroshima survivors amidst the growing public concern over radioactivity in mother’s milk.  They concluded that they must do everything in their power to stop nuclear weapons from ever being used again.  They wrote to the President and Congress to try to persuade them to stop the atomic bomb tests.  When it was clear that their efforts were being ignored, they decided they had no choice but to go to the Marshall Islands and non-violently interfere with the atmospheric testing.   Their journey was very public.  They wrote articles for many newspapers and had a huge amount of public support.

Golden Rule set sail from San Pedro, California, on February 10, 1958, stopping in Honolulu for supplies.  There, her crew was jailed for disobeying a new regulation, not a law, that had been written while they were in transit – to prevent people from entering the Marshall Islands nuclear test zone.  The public was outraged, and there were many protests and demonstrations trying to free the crew and get the charges dropped.

Another boat, Phoenix of Hiroshima, was also docked in Honolulu at the time and got to know the crew of Golden Rule.  The Reynolds family had just come from Hiroshima where Dr. Earle Reynolds was studying the health effects of radiation.  Earle and his wife Barbara were so inspired by the example of civil disobedience set by the crew that they took up the torch and successfully sailed to the Marshall Islands.  The U.S. ended atmospheric nuclear testing soon thereafter, and in 1963 the U.S., UK, and Soviet Union signed the limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. 

Jessica Reynolds was 14 years old at the time and is now a huge supporter of Golden Rule.  Her cousin Naomi owns Phoenix of Hiroshima; they hope to someday restore that boat as well.

Both boats were discovered in California in 2010, just 200 miles from each other.  They were in watery graves.  Over the past five years, Golden Rule has been brought to a new life by Veterans For Peace and many supporters. 

Inspiration for other peace boats

Many other peace boats have been used for non-violent direct action since then, including Vega, Pacific Peacemaker, Sea Shepherds, and Rainbow Warriors.

In 1971, Golden Rule supporter Marie Bohlen of Vancouver, BC, suggested a voyage to the U.S. nuclear test site in the Aleutian Islands like the Golden Rule and Phoenix voyage of 1958.  Soon they had the first Greenpeace boat headed toward Alaska!

Restoration

After many years of various owners (we are in touch with several people who have sailed on her), Golden Rule fell into disrepair and was found adrift in Humboldt Bay.  She sank in a gale in 2010 and was raised into the boat yard of Leroy and Dalene Zerlang.  Zerlang was preparing to dispose of the wreck and researched the history of the boat, learning that it had played an important role in the Cold War.  Instead of using her for fire wood, he posted the information over the internet.

Veterans For Peace members Fredy and Sherry Champaign drove down to check out the situation.  Fredy said that when he walked over to the wreck and put his hand on her keel, the Golden Rule spoke to him and asked for another chance at life.

The Zerlangs provided boat yard space and shop facilities and much expert advice and contacts.  Chuck Dewitt, a member of VFP, was restoration coordinator, working almost daily for the five years.  Many shipwrights, riggers, historic boat lovers, and peace activists have spent thousands of hours in the restoration project.

The Launch

On June 20, 2015, the reborn Golden Rule returned to the water!  Hundreds of supporters cheered as she was gently floated into Humboldt Bay.  Original crewman Orion Sherwood, Jessica Reynolds Renshaw of the Phoenix, Hiroshima Maiden Shigeko Sasamori, Fredy and Sherry Champagne and many others were there.  Long-time peace activists David McReynolds and Bradford Lyttle, who knew the original crew, were also there.  Children and grandchildren of the original crew attended, including Sally Willowbee, who came early to help with reconstruction before the launch.

Mary Sweeters of Greenpeace, Robert Gould of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Barry Ladendorf, president of Veterans For Peace spoke at the reception.

Golden Rule Sails Again!

On Thursday July 23, 2015, Golden Rule began her journey to San Diego and her new mission to educate the public about the dangers of nuclear war and nuclear power.  On board were Captain David Robson,  First Mate Jan Passion, and crewmen Michael Gonzalez and Helen Jaccard (of WILPF and VFP).  Jan Passion left the boat at Half Moon Bay and Professor Arnold J. “Skip” Oliver joined us for the rest of the journey to San Diego.

On August 2 Golden Rule officially sailed into her berth on Shelter Island with about 30 people including at least three television stations, a radio station, and newspaper reporters interviewing the spectators and crew.  Pictures by Ellen Davidson can be found at https://plus.google.com/photos/106906066409718302863/albums/6178614339156497393?banner=pwa

The 2016 season and beyond

Golden Rule and her crew will play a big part in the 30th annual Veterans For Peace National Convention in San Diego and the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Toward the end of August we will stop in Long Beach close to where she originally launched for her journey toward the Marshall Islands.

Other ports of call on the way back to Humboldt Bay are Santa Barbara, Monterey Bay, San Francisco Bay and Fort Bragg.  There may be other ports of call as well and organizing is ongoing.  Our goal is to reach Eureka by October 15 before the weather becomes difficult going north.

The likely plan for 2017 is a spring voyage to Bellingham, Washington, with a researcher who will educate the crew in sampling water, mud, and sea life for radioactivity from Fukushima, then port-hop back south to northern California.

At each port-of-call we intend to educate thousands of people about the effects of radioactivity, nuclear weapons and nuclear power and the whole nuclear path.  We will also give presentations about peace and environmental issues.  By connecting the public with local activist groups, we hope to ignite a new generation of activists, give people hope, and bring about changes in the U.S. energy, war, and environmental policies.

You can help

We need volunteers, crew members, and money.  Please see www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org to learn how you can help or contact Helen Jaccard at Helen.jaccard@gmail.com or 206-992-6364.

Checks of any amount are most welcome!  They can be made out to VFP Golden Rule Project and sent to  VFP Golden Rule Project, P.O. Box 87, Samoa CA 95564.

PHOTO: Helen Jaccard and shore support member Gerry Condon display a banner from the Golden Rule while the boat is docked at Half Moon Bay on its way to San Diego, CA. 
Photo by Charlotte Casey

Inset photos of Helen and the boat are by Ellen Davidson