Historic Golden Rule Sailboat to Lead Peace Flotilla Around Alcatraz

VINA, CA, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The historic Golden Rule anti-nuclear sailboat will lead a flotilla of Bay Area boats around Alcatraz on Wednesday afternoon. The boats will be decorated with banners calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, for an end to the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza, and opposing plans to turn Alcatraz into an ICE prison.
The flotilla of 8-10 boats will depart from Marina Bay Marina in Richmond around 2:30 pm Wednesday, and will pass by the Chevron refinery as it returns.

“Chevron continues to pollute the Richmond community and it is selling oil to Israel, making it complicit in the genocide that is killing tens of thousands of Palestinians,” said Tarnel Abbott, a longtime Richmond activist.

“The U.S. is spending Two Trillion Dollars to ‘modernize’ nuclear weapons,” said Gerry Condon of Veterans For Peace. “They are investing our precious tax dollars in Armageddon instead of healthcare, housing and essential human needs.”

The Golden Rule peace boat is famous for attempting to sail into the Marshall Islands in 1958 to stop nuclear bomb testing. The U.S. had exploded 67 nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands. Now a national project of Veterans For Peace, her red sails are emblazoned with the organization’s distinctive logo, as well as with the universally known peace sign, which was originally the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the UK.

A Legacy of Sailing for Peace
Originally launched in 1958 by Quaker peace activists, the Golden Rule set out to disrupt U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands — sparking an international movement to end nuclear weapons testing. After sinking in a gale in Humboldt Bay in 2010, the boat was raised and restored by a coalition of veterans, Quakers and boat lovers, and re-launched in 2015 as a national project of Veterans For Peace. Since then, the Golden Rule has sailed more than 22,000 miles, bringing its message of peace and disarmament to approximately 150 ports across the U.S., Hawai’i, Canada, Mexico and even Cuba.

2025 San Francisco Bay Voyage Itinerary
The Golden Rule’s Bay Area voyage has already taken the historic 34-foot wooden ketch to San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. Upcoming stops include:
● Richmond (Aug 19–21)
● San Francisco (Aug 22)
● San Mateo (Aug 23–26)
● San Francisco (Aug 22 & 27-29)
Each port visit will include guest sailing, public events, community dialogues, and opportunities for media coverage. To view a the full schedule of events, go to www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org

Sailing with Purpose: Peace at Home and Peace Abroad
While nuclear disarmament remains the central focus of the Golden Rule Project, the mission also highlights the links between militarism, environmental harm, and social injustice.
“The Golden Rule carries a message for all generations: that peace, disarmament, and justice must be charted together,” said Michelle KanoeLehua Marsonette, the Golden Rule’s project manager. “We are sailing for peace at home and peace abroad.”

“A horrified world is witnessing a US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza at the same time as we are seeing militarized attacks on our immigrant neighbors here in the US,” said Gerry Condon of Veterans For Peace. “The possibility of a renewed war on Iran, the continuing war in Ukraine, and U.S. preparations for a war against China have raised the risk of nuclear war to a dangerous level, making the Golden Rule’s mission all the more urgent.”

A powerful new documentary, Golden Rule: The Journey for Peace, will be screened on Thursday, August 21, 6 pm at the Harbor Master’s Office Conference Room, 1340 Marina Way South. The dramatic 34-minute movie follows the Golden Rule’s voyage across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to San Francisco. A great 13-minute film about the Rich City Rays. Rays, a Kayaktivism Story, will also be shown.
The film will also be shown at other Bay Area stops, including San Carlos (Aug. 26) and San Francisco (Aug. 22 and 27).
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About the Golden Rule Project
The Golden Rule Peace Boat is a project of Veterans For Peace. It is crewed by volunteers and powered by wind, community, and conscience. Learn more a www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org
For more information contact:
Michelle KanoeLehua Marsonette at 541-971-9077, vfpgoldenruleproject@gmail.com
or Gerry Condon at 206-499-1220, gerrycondon@veteransforpeace.org
Contacts for Richmond Events:
Tarnel Abbott, 510-910-4510, tarnelabbott@comcast.net
Marilyn Langlois, 510-710-4493, marilynlanglois@comcast.net
Follow the Golden Rule’s voyage on Facebook @ VFP Golden Rule Project

Gerry Condon
Veterans For Peace
+1 206-499-1220
email us here

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