Cryptic crossword clue
Boats less substantial beginning to sink to the bottom 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word LIGHTERS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Boats" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case boats = lighters.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does LIGHTERS mean?

LIGHTERS noun
  1. One who, or that which, lights.
  2. A small, reusable handheld device for creating fire, especially for lighting cigarettes.
LIGHTERS noun
  1. A flat-bottomed boat for carrying heavy loads across short distances (especially for canals or for loading or unloading larger boats).

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