Minor Variations By Phi

[Matakari]

I'm tempted to abandon, ProfessorMaisie, as I seem to be out of my league here, but give me the answers and I'll try again to see how far I can get...Thanks in advance!


2 - 'I' + (3 letters) 'suffered'/allowed [inside a 4 letter word for 'burden' (or, more usually, 'to carry')]- it's a thematic answer, 7 letters long.
3 - is 'eg' inside (3 letters) 'sailor' upwards [ends with 'put'/plonked
upwards] thematic answer - 8 letters
9 - O(xygen) + [3 letters] 'cleared' (inside [4 letters] 'chimney').
13 - (3 letters) 'period of history' inside LAR.
19 [extra word - 'lapwing'] (4 letters) 'congregation'/sheep [outside] 'disorderly woman'/a slope (4 letters) - thematic answer - 8 letters
21 RN for 'sailors' inside 'millrace' (dialect) - def 'picked up'/discovered.
22 a word for 'response' (8 letters) take out the 'c' and put L in a different place for def 'statement'/narrative.
This is a tough puzzle, Matakari - good luck with it.

[ProfessorMaisie]

2 - TOILETTE 3 REGATTA (JJ109 gave most of that one) 9 FLUORIDE
13 LAAGER 19 FRAMPOLD 21 LEARNT 22 RELATION

For answers that are 1 letter too long you have to enter all of the letters (so one cell will contain two letters). To see how the entries work, the extra word 'lapwing' is the (obscure) definition for TERU-TERO - look at the 3rd row in the grid and see how that works with the unclued entry (crossing with the thematic entry at 9d).

[ProfessorMaisie]

...3d REGATTAS (I missed the S)

[ProfessorMaisie]

I should have mentioned that I think it's a very good puzzle and worth the effort (even with all of the obscurities) but you're probably wise to dump it if you get stuck again, Matakari.

[Matakari]

Thanks a lot, ProfessorMaisie, I've learnt quite a few things about crosswords here. I'll sleep on this and come back tomorrow and study it all. Grateful for this lesson!