Thank you for your help.
I was clicking kind of wildly and got up there. I hadn't found the connecting path through the other way yet. I did get the anchor symbol when on the platform for a split second but I didn't get into the boat.
After a couple minutes trying various camera angles and clicking the boat like crazy I still couldn't get it.
Nice to know I'm not alone in this and I am REALLY glad it wasn't a game stopping bug, just the most experience for a quest yet
.