27:12a

the harbor was unsuitable to winter in: This clause indicates that the harbor could not protect the ship from all winter storms and the waves from those storms. So the harbor was not a safe place for the ship to stay during the winter months. Other ways to translate this clause are:

The harbor was not a good one to spend the winter in (Good News Translation)
-or-
The harbor was not suited/good to remain in during the winter

to winter in: The verb winter refers to waiting at a safe place until the time of storms passed. The winter season has many storms and so is a dangerous time to be sailing. Other ways to translate this word are:

to spend the winter (Good News Translation)
-or-
to wait until the season of storms had ended

27:12b

the majority: This verse does not say what group of people this refers to. The group could be:

(1) all the people on the ship (except perhaps any slaves),

(2) all the sailors on the ship,

(3) all the leaders: the pilot, the ship owner, the centurion, possibly others not named.

If possible, do not say which group. But in some languages the group must be mentioned. If so, follow interpretation (1). For example:

almost everyone (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
most of ⌊the people on board⌋

decided to sail on: This phrase indicates that they wanted to continue to sail. For example:

decided to sail from there (God’s Word)

27:12c

if somehow they could reach Phoenix: The people hoped that the winds would allow them to sail to Phoenix. For example:

They hoped we could go to Phoenix (New Century Version)

Phoenix: This name refers to a city. Luke described its port in 27:12d. For example:

the city of Phoenix (God’s Word)

27:12d

Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest: Phoenix was on the south shore of the island of Crete, perhaps 40–60 kilometers (30–40 miles) from Fair Havens. It had a harbor in which one part was open to the sea to the southwest and another part was open to the sea to the northwest. The exact location of Phoenix is not known today, but one possible place looked like the diagram below.

Other ways to translate these words are:

It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
of Crete…. It had a harbor that opened toward the southwest and northwest (Contemporary English Version)

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