Golden Rule open for tours

Although the whipping winds prevented the public from providing a warm welcome to the Golden Rule Thursday afternoon, the anti-nuclear peace sailboat sailed safely into Bodega Bay early Friday morning after a rough night at sea.

It was really fantastic, but really tough, Norman Petersen, the boats skipper said of the trip from Humboldt Bay to Bodega Bay. We got side slapped a couple of times, especially on the stern.

Helen Jaccard, project manager with Veterans for Peace, said they endured eight to 12 foot waves. The waves were just coming up, she said.

The Golden Rule, which has been restored by Veterans For Peace, set sail on Wednesday, June 14, leaving Humboldt Bay on its journey down the California coast to support United Nation talks for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The UN General Assembly will discuss the treaty during a meeting in New York, which started Thursday, June 15 and will continue through July 7. The treaty aims to completely eliminate the creation and possession of nuclear weapons. A May 22, 2017 draft of the treaty can be found here: ww.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BanDraft.pdf.

The Golden Rule was the very first environmental and peace vessel to take to sea. In 1958, a crew of anti-nuclear weapon activists set sail in attempt to interpose themselves and the boat between the U.S. government and its atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, according to the Veterans For Peace website.

Captain Albert Bigelow, George Willoughby, William Huntington and David Gale left San Pedro, heading to the U.S. nuclear test zone at Eniwetok atoll. A week into the trip, the starboard jaw of the gaff broke. While the crew was able to fix it, a strong gale ensued, causing the junior crew to grow sick.

Gale almost died, Jaccard said. He couldnt eat for days.

In a second attempt, the crew set sail to Hawaii. They were arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii where they were tried and jailed in Honolulu.

I have the absolute utmost respect for the original men, Petersen said.

The Golden Rule will remain moored at Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay through Sunday. Visitors can tour the boat Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, nationally-known author and activist Norman Solomon will speak at Veterans Memorial Hall in Santa Rosa at 7 p.m. Solomon will discuss the current nuclear warfare state and what the world can do to stop nuclear war before it starts. He will also revisit the history of the Golden Rule. Cost to attend is a suggested donation of $15.

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Anti-nuclear peace boat moors in Bodega Bay - Sonoma West