In autumn of 2009 the Clearwater organization began a five-year hull restoration project of the Hudson River sloop Clearwater. That winter, crew and shipwrights from Rondout Woodworking worked on the forward third of the vessel, replacing the frames, planks, stem knee, and parts of the cutwater. In 2012–2013 the crew continued with the aft third of the vessel, replacing the frames, planks, and major structural timbers. This winter, they will take on the middle section of the hull, and the transom.

Clearwater has secured $425,000 from New York State towards the $850,000 cost of the project; they are seeking additional funds to further offset the total, and the Float the Boat campaign has been launched to meet that final cost. This the most expensive and most complicated overhaul in Clearwater‘s history.

Modeled after Dutch vessels that sailed the Hudson River in the 18th and 19th centuries, Clearwater was launched on May 17, 1969 from Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, built for Clearwater founder Pete Seeger.  The sloop serves as a platform for environmental education and an emissary for environmental stewardship. In 2004, Clearwater was named to the National Register of Historic Places.