To miss the boat is to lose an opportunity by acting too late. You missed the boat, do not miss the boat, missed the boat entirely.
The lateness is the point, since missing the boat means the chance was real and is now gone. It has been common since the 1920s and works for investments as readily as for jobs.
1phrasemiss the boatTo lose an opportunity by acting too late.
“Book your tickets now, or you'll miss the boat; they're selling fast.”
miss the boat is a losing.
From literally failing to catch a boat in time; common since the 1920s.
Allusion to failing to catch a boat in time, effectively “missing” the boat. Popular since the 1920s.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Idioms