And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, 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.
They fled a mere inconvenience and ran straight into mischief, as we often do. The harbor was bleak in winter, yes, but better to be safe in an uncomfortable haven than lost in a tempestuous sea. God's wisdom provided both the waters to sail on and the natural harbors to shelter in.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 27:12-20
Fair Havens was a misnomer by antiphrasis, fit only for fair weather; the majority voted to sail anyway. Phoenix, lying with its windings toward the southwest and northwest, offered far better shelter for the winter months ahead.
AI summary
Fair Havens was no real winter harbor, merely a storm anchorage. Phoenix, west along the coast, was curved so its entrance ran southwest while the inner harbor turned northwest, making it perfectly safe from every wind that would menace them.
AI summary