The boat then disappeared from history for a long, mysterious interval, but its crew most certainly did not. The Partial Test Ban Treaty, which ended atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, was signed in 1963. But the aspiration of the frail boat caught the public’s imagination and resulted in a miracle, almost like the Butterfly that Stamped of the Kipling tale. The Coast Guard caught them almost immediately. Its successful premiere performance, almost 60 years ago, had been the publicized attempt to save the earth by sailing 2000 miles across the Pacific into the US atomic bomb testing grounds. And this event was starkly allegorical, beginning with the very name, Golden Rule, foundation of practically all the philosophies and religions of the world, gleaming on the boat’s stern. Most of the people present were old enough to have life experiences entangled with the history about to be commemorated. Out on Humboldt Bay kayaks and yachts drifted around, waiting for the splash-down.Īlthough the excitement was congratulatory, a somber note hummed in the air. The Veterans for Peace were still raising money for their voyage to the San Diego annual convention, so they had piles of T-shirts out and everybody was buying commemorative glasses of champagne. On June 20 th 2015 a crowd gathered on the bank of Zerlang & Zerlang Boat Yard in Samoa, California, to witness the launching of the Golden Rule.
