To help with illustrating this, here's a screenshot of where you sit (you can also see all the chests I've placed in my boat)
I second the recommendation to build a dock, it helps a lot with kitting the boat out, plus even just a half-hearted one like I've got here makes the whole thing feel more... nautical, I guess
While we're talking about boats does anyone have any idea what, if anything, attaches to the Halyard cleat and the Carved Figurehead attachment nodes? Unless it's a spoiler, in which case nevermind