Acts 27:13

the south wind blew softly The storm appeared to have in some degree abated, and the change of wind must have been very complete, for (see Acts 27:7-8) they had previously sailed under the lee of Crete to get shelter from the northwind.

loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete (R. V."They weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore)." The word for "close in shore" is asson, and it has been by some taken for a proper name and endeavours been made to discover traces of some place so named in Crete. But though the translation "when they had loosed from Assos" is as old as the Vulgate, there can be little doubt that the Greek word is really the comparative degree of an adverb signifying "near." So it literally means "nearer," and is probably used to indicate that the coasting voyage now being made was one in which the coast was hugged more closely than usual. This is intended by R. V."close in shore."