This Lumiere film is not one of their very well known efforts, but it's included on the "Movies Begin" set. The commentator on the soundtrack of the set explains that when the Lumiere's shot their first subjects they used 50-ft lengths, thus the films would "end" very suddenly. This explains why we actually never see the boat disappear from the screen. Instead we are left in suspense when a large wave tosses it.
This is fairly bland to watch but as some other reviewers have pointed out the photography is great and the movement of the waves is effective looking. If you saw this on a large movie screen you very well might feel as though you are right there watching. It helps also that the footage survives wonderfully and the picture is extremely sharp. If you're new to the Bros then this is a nice place to start because of the photography. It's pretty bland all-in-all but looks great anyway.