Green’s Dictionary of Slang

craft n.¹

a woman.

[1674–81		‘The Trappan’d Taylor’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1891) VII:2 467: This cunning old Craft, with subtle intent, did find that the Lass she was winning].
1830		J.B. Buckstone Wreck Ashore II iv: A nice little craft she is.
1834		Ely’s Hawk & Buzzard (NY) Sept. 6 n.p.: I now will give you [...] a description of the above craft. She was sailing down Broadway [etc].
1841		W.J. Neale Paul Periwinkle 222: Maybe you had a spite against the little craft for some slight or other in courting her.
1842		Flash (NY) 31 July n.p.: Brooklyn Wants to Know [...] If ‘Ohagan’ again vists Mrs F in Front street and what little low sterned craft he has the helm of there.
1844		Cork Examiner 14 June n.p.: I clapt my eyes on a snug craft sailing along under press of sail [...] My eyes! what catheads she had.
1855		Broadway Belle (NY) 12 Feb. n.p.: We were sailing down Canal, when we spied a neat little craft [...] we saw her put her head to leeward and sail leisurely up the river Mercer.
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 26 Oct. n.p.: I found myself hook-and-eyed alongside of a full-rigged craft.
1888		‘’Arry on Marriage’ in Punch 29 Sept. 156/1: I like a short run with the trimmest of tight little crafts.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 11 Sept. 2/5: Not not much. They’re not built so, / Not that likely sort of craft.
1909		Murphy & Lipton [perf. George Lashwood] ‘All Hands on Deck’ 🎵 All hands on deck! There's a pretty little craft in sight / All hands on deck, for she does look all right.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 2 Aug. 9/2: But cheerup, Tim, the Sydney tart is square rigged and homeward bound. Wouldn’t you like to be in command of such a trim craft?
1956		S. Selvon Lonely Londoners 92: Lord, that is the life for you that is. To meet a craft there, and take she out some place.