What does Acts 27:38 mean?

An Alexandrian ship headed for Rome carries Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus (Acts 27:1). Paul and Aristarchus are prisoners under the authority of the centurion Julius (Colossians 4:10). The ship has been in the middle of a fierce winter storm for two weeks—so violent, neither the crew nor the passengers have eaten anything. On the fourteenth night, the sailors realize they are near land. They manage to drop the anchors at the stern to keep the ship from going forward and presumably at the bow to keep the waves from turning them about. In the relative calm, Paul encourages everyone to eat. They still need to swim to shore, and they need the energy (Acts 27:27–36).

A couple of days after the ship entered the storm, the crew lowered the sails. The next day, they jettisoned some of the cargo, and the day after that, they threw the tackle overboard (Acts 27:17–19). Grain ships, what this vessel most likely is, are large and have a significant draft; they can be 180 feet by 50 feet, or 55 by 15 meters, and almost as far from the deck to the bottom of the hold as they are wide. Islands are often surrounded by rocks and hidden reefs. The crew needs to raise the boat as high as they can, so they throw out the rest of the cargo.

It's not enough. As the sun rises, the crew finds a bay with a beach. Hoping to run aground as close to the beach as possible, they raise the foresail and allow the wind to drive them in. Instead, they strike a reef some distance away. The bow is stuck fast and the surf tears apart the already-battered stern. Those who can, swim to shore; those who can't swim find some piece of flotsam to grab onto and kick their way in. Finally, they all make it (Acts 27:39–44).