Crossword Genius

Helper on vessel talked of for a number of years (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

decade

'number of years' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for decade that I've seen before include "Tenth of a century" , "Group of ten things" , "The 1960s, for example" , "Ten consecutive years" , "number of years" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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