Acts 27:9-12 9And since considerable time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10saying, “Men, I can perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion was more convinced by the pilot and the owner of the ship than by what Paul said. 12And since the harbor was not well suited for wintering, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The sailing had become slow because of the lack of wind. The group was now on the island of Crete in the port city of Fair Haven. The next leg of the journey would be the most difficult: crossing over in open sea from Crete to the Italian peninsula. The Fast refers to the Day of Atonement. Paul and other Jews would have missed this significant holiday, but those who were believers may have found ways to celebrate it and remember what Jesus had done for them on the cross. That small detail was not part of Luke’s purpose in recounting this part of the voyage, but only serves as a time reference to indicate the time of year, around late September or early October. The fall season was approaching, which would make sailing even more hazardous and challenging. Sailing on the open sea during the winter months, which were fast approaching, was avoided altogether. Time had run out to get to Rome.
Paul had been on many ships by this point in his life. He had traveled extensively across the Mediterranean Ocean and knew of the danger. He spoke openly to those in charge of the ship, warning them of the dangers and urging them to consider the trip. He predicted there would be problems, even the loss of the cargo, ship, and lives of those on board. To what degree this was prophetic or simply common sense is unknown, but part of his warning did come true later in the account. The centurion must have had the final say in the matter. He chose to listen to the captain and owner of the ship. Either these people lacked experience in this part of the ocean or they were greedy to get their cargo to Italy. It is also possible that the centurion had not been on a voyage across the open sea like this and did not realize the danger.
Verse 12 gives another reason the centurion and ship leaders chose to sail on. The harbor in Fair Haven was not a good place to keep a ship over the winter, possibly because of its location on the southern edge of Crete, where the southern winds could break a ship to pieces in the harbor. The goal became to travel around to the other side of Crete to reach Phoenix, which was a better harbor for spending the winter. The centurion faced a difficult situation, with neither option being the best. His trip would be significantly delayed now. He had come to like Paul, but this was official business, and so he listened more to the pilot and ship owner. The majority outruled Paul, the prisoner.