| I think that's not quite right, at least as I would use the term. "Fresh of the boat" indicates lack of awareness or understanding. Whether you wish to or have assimilated into it is a different matter. For example, if we apply the US standard as defined at Wiki then I don't think you could claim that anyone who isn't reasonably competent in Cantonese would be anything other than FOB here (cf non-English speakers in the US). | 
