Very intriguing place! I think your time of day is not wrong...quite the opposite. It appears to be in or close to the perfect time for landscapes (early or late in the day). In the middle of the day when the sun is high, the light is much more harsh. Here, the problem may be that the sun is being obscured or filtered by some haze or clouds or you waited just a few minutes too long and the sun just set. If it were out, you'd be getting very golden light as is evident by the color in the leading edge of the clouds.
I agree that the horizon is definitely crooked. Much better to get this right in the field. I also agree that the grass is distracting and does nothing for your composition. The best plan is to find your center of interest and then get rid of anything in the composition that detracts from it or doesn't compliment it.
Here, it appears those wonderful hills are the center of attention. If you got closer to the shore and then down close to the water looking up at a boat and then through a single boat to the hills, it would add to the presence and size of the hills. Maybe wait until a boat was pointing towards the hills or in a position that complimented them. Just an idea...might work...might not.
Hope that helps. Also, post your EXIF data. We can learn a lot about the technical aspects of your photo from it.
