Luke's detailed shipwreck narrative describes the crew's desperate measures to save the vessel. In Acts 27:38, after eating, 'they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.' The verb means to make light, to reduce weight. Having already jettisoned the cargo and tackle, they now sacrifice their food supply—the wheat was likely part of the grain shipment from Egypt to Rome. This final lightening attempt shows how dire the situation had become.