If you need to get someone to do levitation toy might as well get a porter. The point of taking the poat is if you need to go to Odus and dont want to bother other people to help you get there.
I'm not sure if its the same problem as you're having, but from what i've seen on my numerous (read as 2 ) trips on the Erudin to Newport boat, it won't drop you if you zone quicker than it takes for the boat to move again. I'm probably completely wrong about this, but on those 2 trips, both times i got on the boat fine because i finished zoning before the boat started moving and someone else that zoned slower than i did missed the boat and dropped into the water.
So, (if this theory is right) the problem could be fixed on the clients end with whatever game tweaks are available. No idea what they could be tho