This is the 6928th most frequent Catalan word.
varela
"Varela" does not appear to be a standard Catalan word with a widely recognized definition. It may be a proper noun or a variation of another term.
Here, 'varela' refers to the boom, part of a sailing vessel.
La varela de la nau va donar problemes durant el viatge.
The ship's boom caused problems during the trip.
In this case, 'varela' is understood as an ancient measurement or tool.
En el passat la varela era considerada una mesura de força.
In the past, the varela was considered a measure of strength.
In this context, 'varela' describes a column or vertical object in a metaphorical sense.