Acts 27:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the ship stopped in the bay of Fair Havens, the season was already late. The fast of the Day of Atonement had already passed, on the tenth day of the month Tishri, in the second half of September. The winter months, dangerous for navigation, had arrived. Paul had gained considerable experience in sea journeys during his apostolic travels. He advised them to spend the winter in Fair Havens. But this bay was unsuitable for wintering. Therefore the centurion, trusting the helmsman and the ship's master more, agreed to the advice of others. They wished, if possible, to reach the harbor of Phoenix for the winter. It lay on the same shore of Crete, but capes jutting into the sea protected it better from the southwest and northwest winds.

A gentle south wind filled the sails, and everything seemed to promise a fortunate voyage to the intended winter station in the harbor of Phoenix, or Phoenix as it is called in the Russian translation. But alas, this breeze proved like a deceptive siren-song, enticing the ship to destruction.

When a south wind blew, the shipmaster and the centurion thought that they had already obtained what they wanted. That is, they thought they could not only attempt the voyage, but count on reaching the safer harbor of Phoenix. The south wind did not threaten to drive them out into the open sea. Therefore they set out, that is, they raised the anchors on which they had been lying, and sailed close along Crete toward Phoenix.

The direction of the ship belonged to the helmsman and the master, with whom the centurion agreed. But because navigation was difficult, the other sailors also began to give their opinions. Many of them said they should go down to the harbor of Phoenix. It was protected from the western winds then blowing, ZW and NW, by mountainous capes jutting southward into the sea. Besides, it was more spacious there than at Fair Havens. For this reason they could live through the whole cold season there, which in that region usually does not last long. The wind itself seemed to support this opinion, for for a time it became favorable for sailing to the named place. So the travelers sailed successfully, but only for a very short time.