Cutter Systems News

Holland America Line installed Spurs Marine’s line and net cutter system on both CP propellers of its cruise ship Volendam. This follows a similar installation on the sister vessel Veendam in May, this year. The cutter systems have two rotary cutting blades and one stationary cutting blade assembly and are designed to instantly cut any line or net before becoming entangled with the propeller, thus avoiding any possibility of aft seal oil rupture and resultant pollution.

By Gordon I. Throughout the Cold War, the need to maintain strong military forces to deter war with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact was a mainstay of U.S. national security policy. During today's global war on terrorism, similar linkages exist between a more capable U.S. Coast Guard, improved homeland security, and the deterrence or defeat of a terrorist attack in the maritime domain. The 9/11 Commission Report clearly describes this nexus. "Our report shows that the terrorists analyze defenses," the Commission wrote. "They plan accordingly. Defenses cannot achieve perfect safety. They make targets harder to attack successfully, and they deter attacks by making capture more likely.