One using leverage on the front of boat or boatman (8)
I believe the answer is:
borrower
'one using leverage on' is the definition.
The answer is a person as well as being a singular noun. This is suggested by the definition.
'front of boat or boatman' is the wordplay.
'front of' says to take the initial letters.
'boatman' becomes 'rower' (rower is a kind of boatman).
The first letter of 'boat' is 'b'.
'b'+'or'+'rower'='BORROWER'
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for borrower that I've seen before include "One taking out a loan" , "who has ignored advice of Polonius" , "One having interest" , "One intends to return things" , "Debtor" .)