Sailor getting a brown sailing vessel (6)
I believe the answer is:
tartan
'sailing vessel' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'sailor getting a brown' is the wordplay.
'sailor' becomes 'tar' (slang term for a sailor).
'getting' says to put letters next to each other.
'a brown' becomes 'tan' (tan is a kind of brown).
'tar'+'tan'='TARTAN'
(Other definitions for tartan that I've seen before include "Cloth with a crisscross design" , "Criss-cross pattern" , "Woollen fabric with plaid design" , "Scots plaid" , "(Fabric with) distinctive checked pattern" .)