Jamieson, Fausset and Brown on Acts 27:16-17

16-17. under--the lee of.

a certain--"small"

island ... Clauda--southwest of Crete, now called Gonzo; about twenty-three miles to leeward.

we had much work to come by--that is, to hoist up and secure.

the boat--now become necessary. But why was this difficult? Independently of the gale, raging at the time, the boat had been towed between twenty and thirty miles after the gale sprang up, and could scarcely fail to be filled with water [Smith].