Group board provides temporary bridging for crew (9)

I believe the answer is:

gangplank

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'temporary bridging for crew' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'group board' is the wordplay.
'group' becomes 'gang' (a gang is a group of people).
'board' becomes 'plank' (synonyms).
'gang'+'plank'='GANGPLANK'

'provides' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for gangplank that I've seen before include "It's for (dis)embarking" , "Way on to ship" , "way to get on board" , "Aid to boarding" , "Temporary access to a docked vessel" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.