Start of month: occasion for going to sea (8)
I believe the answer is:
maritime
'sea' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'start of month occasion for going' is the wordplay.
'start of' suggests taking the first letters.
'occasion' becomes 'time' (I've seen this before).
'for' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other) (I've seen this in other clues).
'going' becomes 'ari' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
The initial letter of 'month' is 'm'.
'time' after 'ari' is 'aritime'.
'm'+'aritime'='MARITIME'
'to' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for maritime that I've seen before include "Found near the sea" , "Naval" , "Nautical" , "beside the sea" , "Concerned with the main" .)