boats and chestboats already on the world cannot be boarded

Am playing in survival mode hard in ver 1.2.

I have discovered that any boats  and boats with chests that have been left in the water cannot be boarded by the player using the normal method.

A newly created boat can be placed on the water and boarded normally.

To board a previously placed boat you have to brak it with an axe and then replace it in the water. it can then be boarded normally.