Cryptic crossword clue
Off Aden, tar moves from bow to stern 4-3-3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word FORE-AND-AFT

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
O
R
E
-
A
N
D
-
A
F
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "from bow to stern" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case from bow to stern = fore-and-aft.
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 FORE-AND-AFT mean?

FORE-AND-AFT adjective
  1. (of the orientation of the sails of a ship) parallel with the keel, that is, going from bow to stern (as opposed to square-rigged).

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