The Golden Rule’s Private TransPac

By Jim Henry
Latitude 38

While the mass and speedy migration of boats going from California to Hawaii has been dominating the headlines, we don’t want to forget about one vessel sailing west for far different reasons.

The Golden Rule, a 39-ft Angelman-Davies gaff-rigged ketch and little sister to the Sea Witch design, departed San Diego a few weeks ago, and is a little more than halfway to Hilo, Hawaii, on the first leg of her “retro voyage” across the Pacific. Golden Rule’s goal is to arrive in Japan in August 2020 for the 75th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, and hopes to return to California in fall 2021 after following the Aleutian Islands around to the West Coast of North America.
(Picture of Albert Bigelow, a Quaker and the original captain of the Golden Rule, onboard the ketch in 1958)

“They’ve seen Transpac boats at least twice now,” wrote Helen Jaccard, the Golden Rule project manager.

Thank you, Jan Passion for forwarding this article!

2 Comments
  • Bill Flounders
    Posted at 19:12h, 20 August

    Garmin shows you safe and sound in Hilo, HI as of July 31. Congratulations and Well Done. I hope you are all well. Looking forward to updates. I’m thinking of you all and your critical message because of the reprehensible news yesterday of the US testing a new generation of intermediate range nuclear capable missile. The US withdraw from the INF as of August 2 is a great step backwards. Thank you for your efforts to advance a message of nonproliferation and to keep humanity moving in a survivable direction.

  • Helen Jaccard
    Posted at 00:00h, 22 August

    Thanks Bill,
    Yes, we’re giving presentations and trying to get the boat officially at a dock in Hilo. No real issues, we just have to fly an inspector in from Honolulu since the Big Island doesn’t have one.

    Yes, it’s very disturbing that the US already had an intermediate range missile ready to test as soon as the treaty was trashed.