ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — There are many reasons a dozen people gathered two evenings a week this year in St. John’s to build a traditional Newfoundland boat, bending and clamping long planks of wood and handling high-strength industrial glue.

Some, like John Handrigan of Placentia Junction, N.L., were drawn in by the history and felt a connection to the centuries of fishermen who had built similar boats — though without the help of power saws and Bostik 920FS marine sealant.