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By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,
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“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”
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But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.
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Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, hoping that somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.
The Storm at Sea
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.
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But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.
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Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.
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Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.
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After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along.
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We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.
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On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
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When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.
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After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.
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But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.
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For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me
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and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’
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So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.
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However, we must run aground on some island.”
The Shipwreck
27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
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They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.
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Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.
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Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.
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But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
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So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.
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Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food.
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So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
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After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
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They were all encouraged and took some food themselves.
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In all, there were 276 of us on board.
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After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.