<p>At the very beginning of that video, it isn't breaking any ice, it's just pushing the small fragments aside as it moves forward. If you watched more of the same video, you will see that <a href="https://youtu.be/rQPBNUdPXC4?t=229" rel="noreferrer">it does shoot water</a>.</p>

<p>It is equipped with what is known as a snow-melting water-sprinkler (融雪用散水装置). It is not a device to lift the ship up, but a device to melt snow. It shoots out pumped-up sea water to melt the snow on top of the the ice, reducing friction (and cushioning) between the ice and the ship, making it easier for the ship to break the ice.</p>

<p>Some references I used.<br>
<a href="http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/operation/nankyoku55.html" rel="noreferrer">JMSDF Shirase page (JP)</a><br>
<a href="http://www.kamome-propeller.co.jp/ships/shirase/" rel="noreferrer">Kamome propeller company, makers of the sprinkling system</a><br>
</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T07:27:24.903Z
Is this device on other icebreakers as well? Or is it only on Shirase?
Sweeper
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T08:25:20.083Z
I'm no expert, but the only one I can be certain of is [Sweden's Oden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w5LrFx-wdY), seemingly to come with a similar water-spraying system. [Canadian documents](http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/e0010972) mention a water-wash system as well.
Jimmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-02T23:25:02.820Z
2018-03-02T23:25:02.820Z
Jimmy
<p>In episode 9 of <em>Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho</em> (宇宙よりも遠い場所), an icebreaker is shown breaking the ice.</p>

<p>From what I saw, the ship seems to lift itself up over the ice by shooting water out, as seen in these screenshots:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/V4e4zl.png" alt="water gushing out from the ship"></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cjNXHl.jpg" alt="water gushing out - front view"></p>

<p>I think the ship is trying to reduce its weight so that it floats and goes above the ice, then it can crush it with its weight. However, in an earlier shot, I saw that the ship is already partially on the ice:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Nynm6l.png" alt="plowing through the ice"></p>

<p>So why does it still need to shoot out water?</p>

<p>Also, I know that the icebreaker in the anime is based on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_icebreaker_Shirase_(AGB-5003)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shirase</a> icebreaker, so I looked up videos on YouTube to see how it breaks ice IRL. As you can see at the beginning of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQPBNUdPXC4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">video</a>, there isn't any water coming out of the ship. It just runs over the ice and the ice just breaks automatically.</p>

<p>Why is there a need for the water anyway? Is this just to make the scene more dramatic?</p>

<sora-yori-mo-tooi-basho>
Why is water coming out of the icebreaker?
# Why is water coming out of the icebreaker?
Posted by: username_0 on 2018-03-02
In episode 9 of *Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho* (宇宙よりも遠い場所), an icebreaker is shown breaking the ice.

From what I saw, the ship seems to lift itself up over the ice by shooting water out, as seen in these screenshots:

![water gushing out from the ship](https://i.sstatic.net/V4e4zl.png)

![water gushing out - front view](https://i.sstatic.net/cjNXHl.jpg)

I think the ship is trying to reduce its weight so that it floats and goes above the ice, then it can crush it with its weight. However, in an earlier shot, I saw that the ship is already partially on the ice:

![plowing through the ice](https://i.sstatic.net/Nynm6l.png)

So why does it still need to shoot out water?

Also, I know that the icebreaker in the anime is based on [Shirase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_icebreaker_Shirase_(AGB-5003)) icebreaker, so I looked up videos on YouTube to see how it breaks ice IRL. As you can see at the beginning of this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQPBNUdPXC4), there isn't any water coming out of the ship. It just runs over the ice and the ice just breaks automatically.

Why is there a need for the water anyway? Is this just to make the scene more dramatic?
**Tags:** sora-yori-mo-tooi-basho
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-02. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
At the very beginning of that video, it isn't breaking any ice, it's just pushing the small fragments aside as it moves forward. If you watched more of the same video, you will see that [it does shoot water](https://youtu.be/rQPBNUdPXC4?t=229).

It is equipped with what is known as a snow-melting water-sprinkler (融雪用散水装置). It is not a device to lift the ship up, but a device to melt snow. It shoots out pumped-up sea water to melt the snow on top of the the ice, reducing friction (and cushioning) between the ice and the ship, making it easier for the ship to break the ice.

Some references I used.  
[JMSDF Shirase page (JP)](http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/operation/nankyoku55.html)  
[Kamome propeller company, makers of the sprinkling system](http://www.kamome-propeller.co.jp/ships/shirase/)
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2018-03-03): Is this device on other icebreakers as well? Or is it only on Shirase?  
> **username_1** (2018-03-03): I'm no expert, but the only one I can be certain of is [Sweden's Oden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w5LrFx-wdY), seemingly to come with a similar water-spraying system. [Canadian documents](http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/e0010972) mention a water-wash system as well.  
---
