The idiom "miss the boat" has three different meanings, so to use iteffectively, you'll need to understand its range of meanings.

It means to be tardy, to be late to an event. If you miss the boat, it means you were not punctual.

It means to miss out or not take advantage of something that would lead to success.

A failure to grasp an important idea or concept. examples

"When it came to finishing his school project by the deadline, Alvin missed the boat."

"Donald Trump did not miss the boat when it came to making money of a real estate opportunity."

"When it comes to boasting the economy, some politicians miss the boat on the importance of a low tax rate."