QUOTE(rerun @ Jan 26 2004, 11:17 PM)So what makes a ship a ice cutter? Reinforced hull around the front and larger than large engines?
Not sure if this applies to the above particular ice breaker but here's a couple tidbits of info:
More often than not, the ship has to "back and ram" to make progress
The cutter will back down between one half and two ship lengths (200-800 feet) through the track cut in the ice behind it… then uses its engines to create as much forward momentum as possible before coming into contact with the ice where it was previously stopped. The momentum of the ship will carry the cutter up higher on the ice, and push it ahead with more force to break through. This process is repeated as many times as is necessary.
The shape of the hull is designed to maximize ice breaking by efficiently combining the forces acting on the ship. Hull shape allows hull to break ice….Thick hull with reinforcement and ribs which are twice the normal thickness of regular ships..
The curve of the ice breaking bow allows it to first ride up on top of the ice, then the bow is levered downward by gravity through the ice like a giant sledgehammer, as the stern is forced upward by the added buoyant forces created there by the bow's upward inclination on the ice. This "one-two" punch brings an incredible amount of the ship's weight to bear on the ice…
Unique features designed to aid in ice breaking. An installed heeling system can rock the ship to prevent getting stuck in the ice…Tanks and pumps can be used to pump water from one side of the boat to the other..