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With regard to the structure of the ships, James Smith writes:
"As both ends were alike, if we suppose a full-built merchant ship of the present day
cut in two, and the stern half replaced by one exactly the same as that of the bow, we
shall have a pretty accurate notion of what these ships were."
The steering was accomplished by two paddle rudders, one on each quarter. Hence
Acts 27: 40 puts the word in the plural, a piece of accuracy lost in the A.V. but
restored in the R.V. The rudders were connected by a pole, and worked together in
one operation. The sails were arranged with extreme simplicity, an arrangement very
different from the wonderful combination achieved in the East Indiaman or modern
frigate. Ships in the Apostle's time had one large centre mast, and one large sail fastened
to an enormous yard. Topsails and a second mast were only used as accessories. With
all the stress concentrated upon one part of the ship, there was naturally a strong tendency
for it to spring a leak, and we have the testimony of ancient writers to the vast proportion
of losses at sea that resulted from this weakness. To counteract the great strain imposed
upon the timbers by the one central mast, the ship carried with it hupozomata or
"undergirders". These were ropes which were passed right round the hull to prevent the
planks from starting. Excavations made at the Piraeus supply a remarkable confirmation
of the truth of the Acts in this particular, as a complete account is given of everything
with which the Athenian ships were supplied. Ships that sailed the Adriatic carried
several "undergirdings".
The ship with which we are concerned in Acts 27: had 276 souls aboard
(Acts 27: 37), and the Castor and Pollux conveyed them, in addition to her own crew,
from Malta to Puteoli (Acts 28: 11). Josephus tells us that, on board the ship that was
wrecked as he was journeying to Rome, there were 600. Such information as this has led
competent authorities to estimate the displacement of many ancient merchant ships as
500 tons or more.
The statement in Acts 27: 15 that the ship "could not look at the wind" suggests
that these vessels could not sail so near the wind as a modern sailing ship. Pliny,
however, says it was possible to sail on contrary tacks, ventis in contrarium navigatur.
That ships could show a fair rate of sail is evident from Cato's address to the Senate
urging the third Punic war. "This fruit", he said, showing that a fresh fig, "was gathered
fresh at Carthage three days ago". From information supplied by Diodorus, Strabo,
Ptolemy and other ancient writers, we can safely conclude that, with a fair wind, a sailing
vessel such as that which carried the Apostle could easily do seven knots an hour. This is
in complete harmony with the record of Acts 27: and 28:
Paul's intention to visit Spain after his visit to Rome was quite practicable, for wool
was constantly being brought from Cadiz to the harbour of Ostia. Egypt, with its port
Alexandria, was a medium of transport for the luxuries of the East which poured into
Rome, as well as its own manufactures of linen, paper and glass. Above all, Egypt was
the granary of the Roman world, and it is therefore not surprising that there were many
"ships of Alexandria" sailing to Italy. There were no "passenger ship" in those days.