18 Sep Golden Rule visit to Santa Cruz a Huge Success!

Press conference in Santa Cruz

Crew members Allen McAfee, Michael Gonzalez, Captain Ron Kohl, and Helen Jaccard show off Golden Rule to visitors in Santa Cruz Harbor

The Golden Rule peace boat and her intrepid crew of volunteers are currently in Santa Cruz, on the central coast of California, after making port calls in San Diego, Long Beach, Marina del Rey/Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo, and Monterey.

In Santa Cruz, as at many other stops, the Golden Rule was welcomed enthusiastically by community members, including Veterans For Peace and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).  At a Tuesday morning welcoming event and press conference, the mayor of Santa Cruz presented the Golden Rule crew with a proclamation on behalf of the city.  That evening Helen Jaccard, the first woman to crew the Golden Rule, spoke at an event organized by WILPF.

Media outreach included Gerry Condon speaking on KZSC, and both he and Helen Jaccard were on KSCO to talk about Golden Rule being in town.

The following morning we were delighted to see an extensive article on Page 2 of the local paper, the  Santa Cruz Sentinel, accompanied by a beautiful color photo of the Golden Rule and the headline “Boat and Her Crew Want to End Nuclear Weapons.”  Radio interviews on both AM and FM radio also helped get the word out and many folks turned out to tour the boat and to go out sailing with us in Monterey Bay.  We raised about $1,000 in donations.

The crew was well fed in Santa Cruz.  On Monday, local activists took us out to dinner.  On Tuesday, India Joze, a gourmet restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz, treated us to a wonderful feast.  On Wednesday, our official Santa Cruz visit culminated with a great potluck dinner on the deck of Aldo’s restaurant, overlooking the Santa Cruz Harbor and the Golden Rule.

High winds and rough seas have forced us to delay our departure from Santa Cruz for a few days.  But neither the Golden Rule nor her crew  are complaining.  Next stop will be San Francisco Bay, where the Golden Rule will be spending nearly three weeks.  We are looking forward to making even more friends and to continue sailing for a nuclear free world.

Golden Rule and her crew are underway today, Sunday September 20, 2015.  We left Santa Cruz about 6:30 am and are expected to dock in Half Moon Bay at around 5 pm.

Tomorrow, Monday September 21 is International Day of Peace.  We will be arriving at South Beach Harbor slip B6 near the ball park, The Embarcadero at Pier 40 in San Francisco, where we will be until Friday September 24.  Please send an email to vfpgoldenruleproject@gmail.com if you are involved with an afternoon or evening event for International Day of Peace.

If you would like to visit the boat, get a ride, offer the crew hospitality, or schedule a speaker, please call our shore support person, Gerry Condon, at 206-499-1220.

The Golden Rule peace boat and her intrepid crew of volunteers just left  Santa Cruz, on the central coast of California, after making port calls in San Diego, Long Beach, Marina del Rey/Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo, and Monterey.

In Santa Cruz, as at many other stops, the Golden Rule was welcomed enthusiastically by community members, including Veterans For Peace and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).  At a Tuesday morning welcoming event and press conference, the mayor of Santa Cruz presented the Golden Rule crew with a proclamation on behalf of the city.  That evening Helen Jaccard, the first woman to crew the Golden Rule, spoke at an event organized by WILPF.

Media outreach included Gerry Condon speaking on KZSC, and both he and Helen Jaccard were on KSCO to talk about Golden Rule being in town.

The following morning we were delighted to see an extensive article on Page 2 of the local paper, the  Santa Cruz Sentinel, accompanied by a beautiful color photo of the Golden Rule and the headline “Boat and Her Crew Want to End Nuclear Weapons.”  Radio interviews on both AM and FM radio also helped get the word out and many folks turned out to tour the boat and to go out sailing with us in Monterey Bay.  We raised over $1,000 in donations.

The crew was well fed in Santa Cruz.  On Monday, local activists took us out to dinner.  On Tuesday, India Joze, a gourmet restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz, treated us to a wonderful feast.  On Wednesday, our official Santa Cruz visit culminated with a great potluck dinner on the deck of Aldo’s restaurant, overlooking the Santa Cruz Harbor and the Golden Rule.

High winds and rough seas have forced us to delay our departure from Santa Cruz for a few days, but we made good use of our extended stay!

We danced our booties off at the Crow’s Nest with our new friend and great supporter “D” Nunn at the Harbor Friday night.

On Saturday, crew member Helen Jaccard traveled to Santa Clara for a meeting with Northern California branches of WILPF, and later Gerry and Helen visited the Collateral Damage statue memorializing all of the victims of war, especially Hiroshima and Nagasaki with our friend Sherry Conable.