The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MATELOTS
M
A
T
E
L
O
T
S
Buddy explains!
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 MATELOTS mean?
MATELOTS noun- Sailor; also "mate;" boon companion