Crossword Genius

Chase damned vessel in the night (5,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

after dark

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'chase damned vessel' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't tell whether this works.

'in the night' is the wordplay.
'in the' becomes 'after' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'night' becomes 'dark' (synonyms).
'after'+'dark'='AFTER DARK'

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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