Oh, sixty years is a very long time,

Sixty years is a very long time,

Sixty years ago!

In nineteen hundred and forty three,

A sturdy boat was made of trees!

Sixty years ago!

In Washington state her keel was laid,

By Grandy Boat Builders she was made,

Sixty years ago!

Wasn’t that odd what she was built for,

In ’43 she was made for the war,
Sixty years ago!

Stationed at the base at Y.B.I.,

She survived the war and that’s no lie,

Sixty years ago!

After her service she made her way,

She became a Scout ship in Santa Cruz,

Sixty years ago!

In Santa Cruz she sailed the bay,

The Scout Ship Gavalan was her name,

Sixty years ago!

Scuttled by pirates in ’98,

She was brought up and round San Francisco Bay,

Sixty years ago!

When she sank, she seemed a loss,

We pulled her out at no great cost,

Sixty years ago!

With the ship afloat and still in the game,

The Scout Ship O-ri-on remains her name,

Sixty years ago!

Newly afloat with her new name,

To the Petaluma Marina home she came,

Sixty years ago!

With the engines rebuilt and the wheel house made,

Every year we’ll return to Y.B.I.

Sixty years ago!

Sixty years on Pacific shores,

Sixty years now we’re ready for more,

Sixty years ago!