Acts 27:7, 12

We made little headway for several days, and with difficulty we made it to Knidus. The strong winds kept us from holding our course, so from there we sailed along the lee of Crete, opposite Cape Salome.

So the majority decided to put out to sea, since Fair Haven was an exposed harbor and not suitable to winter in. They had hoped to somehow reach the Cretan port of Phineka, which was a more suitable port because it was facing south.