The phrase rendered to some broken pieces of the ship could possibly be taken in the sense of “on (the backs of) some of the crew.” This possibility arises from the ambiguity of the Greek, which literally reads “on some of those (either masculine or neuter in form) from the ship.” Nevertheless, most translators, both ancient and modern, take this phrase as a reference to the wreckage which came from the ship, rather than as a reference to the ship’s crew.

Got safely ashore is the same verb mentioned in verse 43, and it may be rendered as “reached the shore and were safe” or “reached the shore without suffering harm.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .