At a wharf where oceangoing yachts tie up for repairs, Paul Baskett — a boatbuilder and owner of Lunenburg's Old Town Boatworks — says his craft is showing signs of renewal amid challenging times.

"Lunenburg in the boatbuilding repair world is bustling," he said, standing alongside a varnished wooden mast from a vintage sloop he's carefully restoring.

Baskett, 53, came to the community to be part of what he called "the working waterfront" about 20 years ago, after becoming an avid sailor in his t…