I think an attempt was made not long ago and abandoned in the early stages? Or at least, there hasn't been an update for quite a while.

I utterly adore this book and recommend it to probably too many people...

The amount of thought put into how such a radical change to 'human' physiology would change culture, plus how the environment affects things too, and especially bearing in mind that there are several very different nations mentioned or featured strongly, is phenomenal.

As a narrator Genly works both as the character who knows things and can explain things to us, and who knows very little and is as baffled as we are. I remember there's that section where he talks about being so disorientated by how the people of Winter judge you solely on your personal merits and how gender expectations and attractiveness plays no part whatsoever and how even after two years he still hasn't quite adjusted.

It really does feel like it could have been published yesterday.

It's been a few years since I read it, but if I'm remembering it correctly the boat isn't the point of the trip; it's to see the "possible" clone-donor but they can't really outright admit that since they're dissuaded from seeking out these people, so the boat is what they come up with as an excuse.

I may well be wrong. It's been a while, my memory of the book isn't brilliant, and I don't have my copy to check.