SOCO says the timing of the cigarette butts is important as they would have been washed away by the high tide, and there were no traces of tide water. The forensics tent is seen standing in place for at least 4 days, meaning the tide would have come and gone many times. Procedures would have been different if they knew the tide would come in.
Alec calls Ellie's brother instead of brother in law when talking about the burned boat at the police dept.