Cryptic crossword clue
Ships with reels spinning 6

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SLOOPS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
L
O
O
P
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Ships" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ships = sloops.
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 SLOOPS mean?

SLOOPS noun
  1. A single-masted sailboat with only one headsail.
  2. A sailing warship, smaller than a frigate, with its guns all on one deck.
  3. A sloop-of-war, smaller than a frigate, larger than a corvette.

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