Hi Mary

Responsible people watch the weather and try to anticipate problems. I've done that 3 am boat-moving thing before...

ALWAYS store the boat bows to wind/water if possible.

In sand, house trailer tiedowns work very well if installed correctly. These are available at Home Depot or Lowe's. They are about 2.5-3' long with a helix at one end and a bracket at the other. The bracket is sharp and I tie something bright to mine to avoid walking on it.

Correct installation is key. You should dig a hole first, about a foot or so deep. and then screw down the tiedown until the bracket is just barely above ground level. Fill in the hole, tamp it down, and the bracket bit should be all that shows. It makes a great difference in holdability if you don't bury the whole tiedown.

Of course the main problem is your neighbors who inevitably don't bother to tie down sufficiently. I've had damage from neighboring boats when my boat didn't move a bit.

If there were rocks, I suppose I'd bury a concrete anchor for a permanent solution or else put the boat back on the trailer... or drill holes in the rocks. If camping for only couple days I'd put the boat on the trailer. That said, even the trailer won't necessarily hold the boat down if it blows hard enough, and I'd trust the tiedowns in any permanent/longterm storage. The height difference with trailer makes for windage that will take the boat over when a tied down on the ground boat stays put.

Wave action will screw up ANYTHING you set, and a boat tied to washed up concrete will bash against the concrete and hole.

sea ya
tami