Crewmember Jamie Skinner from La Center, Washington, was a pilot in the U.S. Navy and had a career as an airline pilot. He is now retired and has extensive sailing experience in the Pacific northwest. Jamie has been battling cancer, but it is in remission. "I feel it's a privilege to be a part of the crew on this voyage and I hope to be an advocate for a greater awareness of nuclear disarmament and trying to work towards world peace."
Alternate crewmember Chris Mayer from Berkeley, California, has helped with a multitude of tasks during the preparation of the boat for the voyage.
For the past two weeks, the Golden Rule operations manager Helen Jaccard has been familiarizing the captain and crew to the Golden Rule. Jaccard has been sailing on the Golden Rule for the past three years on its voyages along the west coast of the U.S. She has been orienting the crew to the communications and navigational equipment, assuring proper rigging for a transpacific crossing, and ensuring that the crew is properly prepared with first aide training, man-overboard drills and providing the food and water needed for the three-week trip.
Hawaiian elder Puna Kalama Dawson flew from Hawaii to San Diego to give an invitation and a blessing for the Golden Rule to come to Hawaii. She thanked Veterans for Peace, the captain and crew for their commitment to peace in the world and for using the vessel as an educational vehicle for discussions about folly of nuclear weapons.
In its four years of sailing along the west coast of the United States, the Golden Rule has visited communities in Humboldt Bay, Eureka, San Francisco, Monterrey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Bremerton, and Bangor. The Golden Rule has sailed twice to Ensenada, Mexico, to visit with Deported U.S. veterans.
The Golden Rule was found derelict in Humboldt Bay, California, in 2011. A local shipyard owner Leroy Zerlang discovered the history of the boat and asked for help in restoring her. Two Veterans for Peace chapters in Northern California volunteered. With Chuck Dewitt as project manager, many volunteers helped with the restoration over the next four years.
"Making Waves: The Rebirth of the Golden Rule" is a 25-minute documentary about the Golden Rule's history and current mission. The 1958 mission of the Golden Rule is chronicled by the Golden Rule's Captain Albert Bigelow, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, in the book, "The Voyage of the Golden Rule: An Experiment With Truth."
In speaking about the mission of the Golden Rule, Gerry Condon, National president of Veterans For Peace, said, "We are sailing for a nuclear-free world and a peaceful, sustainable future. Now it is time for us to visit the island nations of the Pacific, which have suffered so much damage from nuclear testing and military bases."
You can follow the Golden Rule's voyage on a map that updates every 10 minutes and with a daily blog..
Email (vfpgoldenrleproject@gmail.com) to receive the blog link by email.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
