Captain Tuomo, how did you get into expedition cruising?
Well, this is a short, long story. I was working onboard a Finnish cruise ship called Kristina Katarina in 2014, when the owners decided to sell it and I became unemployed. While looking for a job, I came across Oceanwide Expeditions’ job ad looking for a chief officer onboard its ship MV Plancius heading to Antarctica. I thought to myself: ‘Hm, Antarctica! Interesting place, perhaps a little too cold’. I slept on it and next morning I sent my application. In a week’s time, I was in Holland for training and exams to comply with Dutch law requirements, and in two weeks, I was in Ushuaia joining MV Plancius en route to Antarctica. This is how it all started.
How many Antarctic seasons do you have under your belt?
The upcoming season will be my eighth.
Taking a ship to polar regions is a feat even nowadays – what are the key challenges of travelling to remote corners of the world?
Antarctica and the Arctic are quite different one from another – Antarctica is far away from everything. Argentina is not the easiest place to get spare parts, supplies, and arrange crew changes. You manage it, but it requires preparation well in advance. And of course, crossing Drake Passage can be challenging due to unpredictability of the weather. If you head to Ross Sea, you are even further away from everyone and everything. Arctic on the other hand, feels closer to civilization.
Tell me about your typical day onboard and expedition ship in Antarctica.
During a normal operational day in Antarctica, I get to sleep until 4.30-5am in the morning. I then head to the Bridge and depending on weather and ice conditions, I will take the ship safely and close to the first landing site of the day. Depending on ice, depth of the water, we will either anchor or drift for zodiac operations. Typically, if the weather is OK, Bridge officers will take over from me until the time we need to depart for the second landing site for the day where I am back to maneuver the ship. We usually set sail for the next day’s landings around 6-7pm. Antarctic operations are extremely weather dependent, and some days are easy, many days are OK, and it is not unusual to have early start and finish quite late in the evening at the Bridge. Catching up on sleep whenever you can becomes a quite important challenge when you are down South.
How about the interactions with the Expedition Leader, Hotel Director, and the guests?
The communication with Expedition Leader is constant – you double check together next day’s activities, reconfirm plans, and make sure the operations are running smoothly on the day, and give green light to activities from operational point of view. All those also together with Staff Captain. Same goes with the Hotel Director – every change has an impact on hotel operations so it is crucial they are up to date to all developments and can adapt. Excellent communication and coordination between departments is paramount for smooth running of daily program.
I am always available to the guests with the exception when I am at the Bridge during operations. There are some standard functions onboard such as Captain’s Welcome, Captain’s Dinner or Captain’s Farewell where I am always available. I generally find that guests enjoy interacting with the Captain and ask a lot of questions. Another time I may step in, is when we have some significant changes to the itinerary and the clients must be advised. It requires little convincing when the weather outside is atrocious, it may be a little more challenging when the decisions to amend plans are less obvious but concern safety. While it is generally expedition leader that communicates with the guests, sometimes it is good for the Captain to step in and ensure transparency and united front for the guests.
In your opinion, what are the key qualities and characteristics of a good captain? Are there any additional skills you feel a captain needs to be a great expedition cruise captain?
First and foremost, Captain is the leader and must possess the characteristics and skills to be one. Captaining an expedition cruise ship is a complex task and requires flexibility and safety must always be at the forefront of all we do. That requires upfront planning and to somehow be one step ahead of Mother Nature, if that is possible at all. And flexibility means you must be able to first change your plans and be good at convincing others to do the same. All departments must have this skill – expedition team, engine room, hotel department because every change has a ripple effect to all crew: if you add an additional expedition activity, dining times may be changed at a short notice, considerations must be made if the ship will be able to make to the next landing site on time, and the list just goes on.
Prioritizing safety, being flexible, and humble in front of Mother Nature are the key skills.
What do you think makes expedition a success from operational point of view?
I think the key point is seamless cooperation between Expedition team, Bridge team, Hotel staff and the rest of the ship because I see the ship as one unit. We have different departments but one goal which is to deliver the product and in this case the product is expedition experience for the guests. At times, we need to skip a site that is perceived as a highlight and in that case, we need to work so much harder as a team to ensure we make up for the lost time or place. That needs a huge cooperation and working together as one team. This means that the Captain also has to be a diplomat and to engage with the rest of the team in such a way, that they comply with your decisions without being forced to do so.
Is there anywhere in the world where you would like to take the ship to where you haven’t been yet? Where is it and why?
I always wanted to visit Russian Far East and the Russian side of the Arctic – unfortunately, this is not possible due to current political situation. I would also love to cross the Northeast Passage – some people say it is boring, but I have never been there, and I don’t know until I do it.
Is there a famous explorer past or present that you admire? If so, who and why?
Yes, of course I have one. It’s Nils Erik Adolf Nordenskjöld. He was the first one to successfully cross the Northeast Passage but even before that, he explored extensively in Svalbard and Greenland. While he is often considered one of the greatest Swedish explorers, he was born in Finland and was forced to leave the country due to being outspoken publicly against Russian oppression. He remained proud of his Finnish routes throughout his lifetime, and the Swedes who claim him theirs, I say ‘No way!’. (he laughs).
What is your favourite destination to take ship’s clients to and why?
There are so many nice places. I always wanted to go South - they say be careful what you wish for, because I probably went more South than I intended! (He laughs). I had my share of cold, albatrosses, snow, and ice! I would like to sail in Caribbean on a small ship – there are a lot of things to see and to show there, as well as in Europe and Mediterranean. With smaller ship you can go to places where no larger ships can and explore destinations outside traditional routes. I have a love/hate relationship with Antarctica –on a bad day, I think why I came back again. On a nice day, with sun shining, blue skies above, calm seas, it’s magnificent. My heart melts and I know exactly why I am here.
When off the ship, how do you spend your free time?
I live in the countryside in North Karelia, in Finland, and I have a large garden. My special hobby right now is growing garlic, a lot of it, much more than I will ever eat! The garlic is in the ground now and ready for the winter, so I can depart South.
I know you love music. Is there a particular song that you associate with your ship travels?
There are many songs, but the one that comes immediately in mind is the Deep Purple’s ‘Pictures of Home’ from their Machine Head album published in 1972. That’s my ship travels song.
MEET THE CAPTAIN TUOMO LESKINEN
Captain Tuomo was born in the lake area inland in Finland 1965. His interest and passion to the sea first came from books and films. The more he learnt, the more he read... After high school he went to Finnish Navy for military services and after completing it, he moved to the merchant navy in 1987, starting as Ordinary Seaman.
Captain Tuomo attained his Officers license at 1990 and started to explore seas around the world intensely. Upon getting his Chief Officers license 1992, followed by his Captains license at age of 29, Tuomo sailed as a Chief Officer on big tankers. He remained exploring West African coast and countries, as well as North Sea Oil Fields until stepping ashore as a lecturer at the Maritime Academy. After working in the Maritime Education sector, he has worked on the Global Forest industry logistics and this function led him to set up onboard Safety Courses for a cruise line. On this occasion he received an offer to return to the sea - which was an easy decision to him, after being haunted by missing navigating into distant and remote areas of the globe.
Captain Tuomo has returned sailing on expedition cruise vessels acting as Chief Officer, Staff Captain and Captain from 2014 onwards. During this period, he has sailed the Arctic, Antarctic (in areas including Ross Sea), South Atlantic remote islands, Svalbard, Greenland, White Sea he has not given up learning more about those areas which he has visited so many times. Not only sailing but supervising lately two expedition cruise ship new buildings, being captain on their sea trials and taking them in to the service and inaugural cruises on Antarctic and Arctic.
Always willing to improve, he keeps reading and learning more about the known and new areas, to be able to perform his task as Captain extending a safe and environmental friendly way to both the guests, crew and staff providing a great experience to last for a lifetime.
Currently Captain Tuomo is commanding ms Silver Wind of Silversea Cruises to her first Antarctic season.
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