The problem with putting your boat on land, especially in a flood prone area, such as the Jersey coast, is the tidal surge can actually lift the boat from the jack stands and float it away to where it will be dashed against an immovable object.

The other problem is that unless the boats on jack stands is anchored or tethered to the ground, high winds can easily topple the boat, especially sail boats because of their mast height. My mast is nearly 60 feet above the ground when I'm on jack stands.

In the water, and tied to a pier, especially a floating dock, you just double up the mooring lines. However, if the tidal surge is extremely high, the floating dock can actually lift above the anchoring poles and float away with all the boats still tied to the dock. I saw that happen during Hurricane Camille, when a 80-foot section of dock came floating down the Susquehanna River from the town of Port Deposit with a dozen boats still attached. Ironically, all the boats and the section of floating dock passed beneath the Amtrac Bridge without hitting it, then went aground on the Susquehanna Flats. All the boats were retrieved about a week after the storm passed.

When a hurricane approaches the US Naval Bases, such as Norfolk, Portsmouth, San Diego, the ships leave the docks and go into the nearby bays and anchor up to ride out the storm. Sometimes, they go out to sea and ride it out, but these ships are built to handle any kind of weather. I only rode out one while in the US Navy, Hurricane Hazel. Thought I was gonna die. Some sailors were so seasick they wished they would die.

All the best,

Gary