Dealer in ships' supplies (8)
I believe the answer is:
chandler
'dealer in ships' supplies' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for chandler that I've seen before include "Dealer in ship's equipment" , "who brought Philip Marlowe to book" , "Marine items supplier" , "Dealer in soap" , "Mystery writer" .)