After hoisting it up, the sailors used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing they might run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and in this manner the ship was driven along.
So they took a sounding and found it to be twenty fathoms. After going a little farther, they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms.
Then the sailors tried to escape from the ship by lowering the skiff into the sea under the pretense that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow.