After coming to a stop, "Otso" slid back by herself without utilizing the engines, and the ridge was penetrated on the second charge. The robustness of the ship and its propulsion system were further proven when the icebreaker was backed into a ridge at "to prove to the customer it doesn't break". Considered to be a successful design that incorporated the latest Finnish icebreaker technology, "Otso" was later used as a design basis for the United States Coast Guard icebreaker "Healy". Although the "Otso" is slightly shorter than her predecessors "Urho" and "Sisu", she is slightly wider and was, at the time of her delivery, the widest subarctic icebreaker in the world with a beam of . However, with a maximum draft of and a minimum operating draft of only , "Otso" is able to escort ships to shallower ports than her predecessors. The displacement of the icebreaker is 9,222 tonnes. In many ways, "Otso" was a significant departure from the traditional Finnish icebreaker design. The extended bridge wings on top of the stylish superstructure feature full-depth all-round windows that provide almost 360 degree visibility from the main steering position, which has been moved to the starboard bridge wing from the centerline. Furthermore, the traditional colours dating back to the Imperial Russian era, yellow and black, were replaced with the colors of the flag of Finland, blue and white. Due to the extensive use of advanced automation, which allowed everything ranging from starting and stopping the main engines to raising and lowering the flag to be done remotely from the bridge, "Otso" had the smallest crew among Finnish state-owned icebreakers when she entered service in 1986. Later her crew has been further reduced to 20. "Otso" was also the first icebreaker in which the lifeboats, unusable in ice-infested waters, were replaced with inflatable life rafts that could be lowered on the ice. While "Otso" holds the highest Finnish-Swedish ice class, 1A Super, it has hardly any meaning for icebreakers which are of considerably stronger build than merchant ships operating in their care. Coated with low-friction Inerta160 epoxy paint, the hull plating has thickness of over in the bow and the waterline is protected by an explosion welded stainless steel compound plating that further reduces ice friction and resists abrasion. Galvanic corrosion is prevented by active cathodic protection.