To throw a wrench in yout theory, I'll offer on of my favoite demenstration of magnitizem. The Flying Frog. Water has be proven diamagnetics. That is to say it has a weakly replant reaction to magnetic frield. So though otherwise plausable, the tides would not be attracted to the moon, but repeled.
Please see this web site.
http://www.hfml.sci.kun.nl/froglev.html