The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word GANGPLANK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
A
N
G
P
L
A
N
K
More clues leading to the result GANGPLANK
- Board wanted to get you on board
- Boarder’s entrance examination’s ending in silence, physicist heard
- Chasing king, mob work out how to get on board ship
- Keep quiet about new plot before king gets access to ship
- Board to board?
- Embark on this team exercise
- Crew on board may have come across it
- It keeps you off the drink while boarding
- Mob scheme knavishly at first for way to get off
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "access to ship" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case access to ship = gangplank.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 GANGPLANK mean?
GANGPLANK noun- A board used as a temporary footbridge between a ship and a dockside.