The Golden Rule at its launch on June 20. By John Ferrara.

After a successful journey to San Diego, where the vessel was admired by veterans for nearly a month, the Golden Rule will set sail for Humboldt Bay at the end of August.

Veterans For Peace Vice President Gerry Condon said the organization will eventually sail the ketch around the U.S. and possibly the world, spreading anti-nuclear-testing sentiment.

“What we’re looking at is a 10-year mission of traveling all throughout the United States, spreadin’ the word, sailing for a nuclear-free world,” Condon said.

The ship also received invitations to sail to Japan and the Marshall Islands. But Condon said the VFP is years away from planning any international travel.

For now, the Golden Rule will set sail for Humboldt at the end of August, making multiple stops on its journey for fundraising and educational events.

The ship will dock in Humboldt Bay in mid-October to receive additional repairs. In April, it will be fitted with new gear and head further northwest to test for Fukushima radiation.

“This was our first journey. We plan to stay on the Pacific Coast for a few years,” Condon said. “Maybe eventually we can sail up the Mississippi or the Great Lakes. We’d also love to sail the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, but we’ll make concrete plans in the coming years.”

The Golden Rule arrived safely in San Diego on Aug. 1, after a 10 day voyage. The boat and its crew spent four nights in the ports of Half Moon Bay and Santa Barbara, to refuel and wait out bad weather. Due to a lack of wind, the crew motored most of the way at about 5 nautical miles per hour.

Despite pressure from VFP, the San Diego Maritime Museum never permitted the Golden Rule to dock in its harbor.

The Golden Rule is renowned for its 1958 voyage to Marshall Island in an attempt to halt atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. The crew was arrested in Hawaii before it reached its destination. However, the act became a model for future peace activists and directly inspired the organization Greenpeace. The newly restored ketch is now known as the world’s first peace vessel.

“They just maintained that the Golden Rule was too political for them and didn’t want to be associated with Vets for Peace,” Condon said. “San Diego is a very militant town, but it also might have been consistent with [the museum’s] bylaws and procedures.”

The ketch found docking space in the San Diego Harbor Police Public Dock, and veterans were still able tour the boat.

“Many veterans came over to see the boat and some of them got to sail on it,” Condon said. “Sailing around the bay has been really fun and inspiring. It was very much the star of the convention.”