Possible Clues:

• Gargoyle, e.g.
• Decorate golden handle with new paint, no trouble
• Deck in a thousand-tonner at sea
• Turn to dress up
• Mean to mend a badly torn cover: it's decorative
• Torn about accepting a crew's decoration
• Tar dancing with men on deck
• Affected manner to dress up
• Decoration that's 'the last word' sadly torn on the outside
• Christmas buy