Which means, they're in range of wifi, Virgin Gorda I surmise. Iain is a great writer and like their friends blogging on SERAFINA, this post gives a real sense of this passage.

FIONA has spent many an off watch sleeping strapped to the windward rail of racing boats because, "It's more comfortable than below on those stripped out metal racing boats". In fact, she'd never been seasick in a lifetime of sailing like that, until this passage.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/s34ruffian/?xjMsgID=295565