The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BOWSPRIT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
O
W
S
P
R
I
T
More clues leading to the result BOWSPRIT
- Member on board gives in, then oddly persists
- East End icon dropping drug in Spar
- Spar on ship bends right into abyss
- Pole, tie and skewer? That’s about right
- Respectful acknowledgement to courage I needed to spar
- See component of boat bend on trips at sea
- Pole bowled over with vigour, dismissing first one
- Ducks right inside hollow part of boat
- What boat leads with on its prow, possibly
- To genuflect before rough trip is fitting for a sailing ship
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Member on board" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case member on board = bowsprit.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 BOWSPRIT mean?
BOWSPRIT noun- A spar projecting over the prow of a sailing vessel to provide the means of adding sail surface.