Ocean-going Vessel by Pointer

Puzzle explanation

In the central row, the initial entry SKIP OF THE SEAS was changed to SHIP OF THE SEAS; the last letter replacement in the chain further changed it to SHIP OF THESEUS. Like every grid entry, the Ship of Theseus and Trigger’s broom (from the down clues) are objects that have had multiple replacements, but are still considered to be the same objects. In his Life of Theseus, Plutarch wrote (in Bernadotte Perrin’s translation):

The ship on which Theseus sailed with the youths and returned in safety, the thirty-oared galley, was preserved by the Athenians down to the time of Demetrius Phalereus. They took away the old timbers from time to time, and put new and sound ones in their places, so that the vessel became a standing illustration for the philosophers in the mooted question of growth, some declaring that it remained the same, others that it was not the same vessel.

In the Only Fools and Horses episode Heroes and Villains (broadcast on Christmas Day 1996), the street sweeper Trigger says that he has used the same broom for 20 years, though it has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles.

The editors apologise for the anguish caused by the false implication that all grid entries would become non-words after the first letter change, which was not the case for FAWN → SAWN → SEWN, DORSALS → DORSELS → NORSELS and FAUCES → SAUCES → SAUCER. Also, the final entry FATWAED is not supported by Chambers.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 ALAE AL(g)AE
4 FAUCES SURFACE * − R
7 POSHER POS + HER(e)
8 CADENT CADET around N
9 LADS SADL(y) *
12 SEES ES < + ES
16 TERAS T + ERAS
17 INFAME INF + (n)AME
19 STILB BLITS <
22 RESITE REQUISITE − QUI
24 FAWN FAW + N
25 CORSAC CORSAIR − IR + C
Down
2 LASKETS (S’L + TAKES) *
3 APLITES SEA * around ((shi)P + LIT)
5 ARCHIL CHARLI(e) *
6 SESAME S + E + SAME
10 DORSALS DORS + AS around L
11 HEARSED REHEARSED − RE
13 SPINATE PAINTERS * − R
14 PELF (Whitecha)PEL F(raud)
15 FATWAHS FAT + W + HAS *
18 FORÇATS F + ACTORS *
20 INFELT IN FELT
21 BOUCLÉ (CO + BLUE) *
23 SCENES SENECA’S < − A
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