Excerpt from "Now That She Is Dead" by Evelyn Ng.

"The waves lapped at our ankles, sometimes reaching as high as our knees. We breathed in warm salty air and stared at the masts of the ships in the distance. She complained that they spoilt the view, but I only smiled, and tried to look at the sun."

I think the people on the ship were just trying to get a better view too.