What’s The Golden Rule?
Released just this week, this short film has got everything. A worthy cause, a wooden ketch, a restoration, an adventure, and an on going legacy. It’s beautifully made, and the subject matter is as relevant today as when the idea was first conceived.
When thinking about what sort of vessels might be encouraged to attend the “Working Boat” themed 2027 AWBF, one of the categories that came up, was “protest boats”. I think that’s legitimate. Protesting, while not exactly a job, is definitely not for pleasure, added to which there is a long a storied history of famous craft trying to get their message across. In recent weeks we’ve had the Global Sumud Flotilla. And in recent decades there’s been multiple RAINBOW WARRIORs, for Greenpeace and the BOB BARKER & the STEVE IRWIN for Sea Shepherd. If you are looking for timber protest boats you might go back as far as the Boston Tea Party… but there is one little wooden craft that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Here at SWS we wrote an article about them back in 2021. And in this 2025 Armistice week, they have released a film that all of us with an interest in wold peace (on a more profound level than a Miss World contestant) should take a moment to watch.
About the Boat
GOLDEN RULE is a Ketch-rigged wooden 38ft sailing boat built in 1958, in Costa Rica from mahogany on oak and designed by Hugh Angelman, more famous for his SEA WITCH boats.
Originally built for the 1958 voyage by Quaker activists, over time she passed through private hands, and deteriorated, and by 2010 had sunk in a storm in Humboldt Bay, California. In that condition the hull had large holes, ribs broken, both masts missing.
Local boatyard owner Leroy Zerlang and volunteers from Veterans For Peace (VFP), along with Quaker supporters and wooden-boat enthusiasts, undertook a restoration project between about 2010-2015. On 20 June 2015, the restored GOLDEN RULE was relaunched from Zerlang’s boatyard in Humboldt Bay.
This is their message to accompany the film
In a time of escalating conflict and a dangerous new nuclear arms race, this film is our active prayer for peace. It is our stand for climate justice and our pledge to protect our most vulnerable. Your support has been the wind in our sails, and this film is a tool for our shared movement, a story to inspire action and reaffirm that another world is possible.
Here’s how you can help us reclaim this day and spread our message of peace:1. WATCH & REFLECT: Gather and watch the film today. Let it be part of your Armistice Day observance.
2. SHARE THE TRUE MEANING: Forward this email. Share the film on social media with this message: "This Armistice Day, I'm honoring the call for peace by watching the story of the Golden Rule. Join me: https://youtu.be/DhrSXF74SYo #ArmisticeDay #GoldenRuleMovie"
3. CONTINUE THE VOYAGE: Dive deeper into the story and our mission at www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org
Your belief in our mission is what makes the Golden Rule a living, sailing symbol of armistice. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.
In peace and solidarity,
Michelle Kanoe-Lehua Marsonette
Golden Rule Project Manager & Crew
Veterans For Peace