The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PINNACE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
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More clues leading to the result PINNACE
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 PINNACE mean?
PINNACE noun- A light boat, traditionally propelled by sails, but sometimes a rowboat. Pinnaces are usually messenger boats, carrying messages among the larger ships of a fleet.