The keel of Hope was hewn from a giant white oak felled in a hurricane on Brush Island in Indian Harbor, Greenwich, Connecticut.

[2] The frame and planking are of white oak trees cut on the Benedict estate across the harbor from Brush Island.

A lifeline is a line on the deck of a boat, to which one can attach oneself to stay aboard in rough seas.

In November 1983, they commissioned nationally renowned marine artist, Mark Greene to produce a lithograph of the vessel.

As part of the Seaport Association’s Hope Chest initiative, the first 35 people to donate $1,000 or more to the vessel would receive one of the images, with the remaining 15 to be sold in coming years.

[4][5] During the time that Hope was owned by the Norwalk Seaport Association, it was re-painted, its steering box and engine were rebuilt and some planks were replaced.

He stated that the planks of oak vessels like Hope have the tendency to shrink when removed from the water for an extended period of time.

The restoration process began with Hope being lifted back into the water where its boards were given the opportunity to take in moisture and expand.

[6] The restoration process continued when the crew of Tallmadge Brothers transported the vessel to a dry dock in Bridgeport, CT where its boards were caulked, its deck was sanded, its mast was stepped, its bottom and topsides were painted, and it was fully rigged.

Hope has recently fallen victim to corrosion and wood rot as the Maritime Aquarium had difficulties keeping the maintenance budget current.