Cutter Suction Dredger John M is equipped to operate under a wide variety of conditions. Basically, three different operating modes can be used:

Using the three chain driven spuds and the self manoeuvring ladder. Suitable for tidal area's where steel cables cannot be used for example, in marinas, or narrow channels and busy shipping lanes.

Using the two side winches, and the aft mounted spud carriage. Suitable for wider canals, or ponds, where combining the length of the hull and the ladders a swing of about 50m can be made in one operation.

Using the winches only, extreme wide swings of up to 150m wide can be made. Especially useful for maintenance dredging and rapid removal of soft top layers.