How do I solve 26 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31237?

Question

Accepted Answer

26 across reads "Small vessel heading off, say" (5 letters); the answer is UTTER. It's a deletion clue: start with a word the clue points to, then drop one or more letters. Indicators include 'endlessly' (lose the last letter), 'beheaded' (lose the first), or 'heartlessly' (lose the middle). The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Small vessel heading off, say (5)

26A — Small vessel heading off, say (5) — UTTER