{When the ship was caught} (sunarpasthentos tou ploiou).
Genitive absolute again with first aorist passive of sunarpaz(935c),
old word, in N.T. only  Lu 8:29  Ac 6:12  19:29 , and here.
Graphic picture as if the ship was seized by a great monster.
{Face the wind} (antophthalmein t(9369) anem(9369)). Dative case with
the vivid infinitive of antophthalme(935c) from antophthalmos,
looking in the eye, or eye to eye (anti, facing and
opthalmos, eye). Eyes were painted on the prows of vessels. The
ship could not face the wind enough to get to Phoenix. Modern
sailors talk of sailing into the eye of the wind. We were not
able to look the wind in the eye. _Koin(825f) verb used by Polybius.
Some MSS. have it in  Ac 6:11 , but only here in N.T. In Wisdom
of Sol. 12:14 it is used of a prince who cannot look God in the
face. Clement of Rome 34 uses it of an idle workman not able to
look his employer in the face (Milligan and Moulton's
_Vocabulary_). {We gave way} (epidontes). Second aorist active
participle of epidid(936d)i, giving way to the wind. {Were driven}
(epherometha). Imperfect passive of pher(935c), "we were being
borne along." We "scudded before the gale" (Page). "The
suddenness of the hurricane gave no time to furl the great
mainsail" (Furneaux).