What to wear on a boat in Helsinki
The rule, and why it is the rule
Dress for the shore and you will be cold on the boat. This is not because Helsinki is cold — July averages about 18 °C with highs around 22 °C, which is a pleasant summer — but because a moving boat makes its own wind, the sea is colder than the land, and there is nothing between you and the open water once you pass the last island.
The moment I always think of is the sundeck emptying. The boat comes out of the channels, where the islands have been holding the wind off, and within a minute half the deck has gone inside. The people who stay are the ones wearing a jacket. They also get the best part of the route to themselves, so comfort is only half the reason.
Summer: June, July and August
A windproof jacket. The single most useful item. It does not need to be thick; it needs to stop wind. A thin shell over a jumper beats a thick fleece on its own.
A layer under it. Long sleeves. Even on a warm day, two and a half hours on the evening sailing will find the gap between your collar and your neck.
Long trousers. Shorts are fine on the square and cold on deck. If you insist on shorts, bring the trousers in a bag.
Sunglasses and sun cream. Sunshine runs seven to nine and a half hours a day in June, July and August, and the water doubles it. Finnish summer sun catches people out because it does not feel hot.
A hat that stays on. A brimmed hat on an open deck at speed is a gift to the sea. Something that fits or something with a cord.
Spring and autumn: May and September
Add a proper coat and gloves. May and September are the shoulder months on the water: the fleet is running, the crowds are gone, and the evenings are genuinely cold. September light is the best of the year on the channels, and September wind will find any gap you have left. A scarf is not excessive.
Rain is a real possibility in both months. Helsinki gets about 675 mm a year spread fairly evenly, with August the wettest at about 80 mm. A hood beats an umbrella on a boat, because an umbrella on an open deck lasts about ninety seconds. See the weather page.
Winter, on the ferry
There is no sightseeing fleet from October to April, but the Suomenlinna ferry runs every day of the year and people do cross in January. February averages about four degrees below zero with lows around seven below, and the wind on the open deck of a ferry in February is a different order of thing. Dress as you would to stand still outdoors for half an hour, not as you would to walk: hat, gloves, a real coat, and boots with grip, because the quay ices.
The crossing is fifteen minutes and there is a heated saloon. The fortress at the other end is open ground with very little shelter, and that is where the cold gets people. The winter page covers what is actually running.
Footwear, which matters more than people think
Flat, closed, with some grip. Decks get wet from spray even in dry weather, and the gangway at Market Square is a metal ramp that moves with the boat. Heels are a bad idea. Smooth-soled leather soles are a worse one. Sandals are acceptable in July on the loop boats and a genuinely poor choice on the RIB.
What the specific boats ask of you
The archipelago loop and the evening cruise. Normal clothes plus a windproof layer. There is a saloon, so you have an escape.
The RIB. This is the one that needs thought. It is a speed boat; life jackets and goggles are supplied. Wear something you do not mind getting wet, tie back long hair, leave the hat at the hotel, and remember the sauna at the other end: bring a swimming costume and a towel if you want to use it, and wear clothes you can get in and out of quickly. The RIB page and the sauna page have the rest.
The private boat. There is a canopy and closed weather protection, so this is the most forgiving of the lot. Still bring a layer.
The Tallinn ferry. You are indoors on a large ship for two hours or so, and then walking around a medieval town centre for most of the day. Dress for Tallinn, not for the crossing, and take a coat you can carry. The Tallinn page.
Included
- A windproof outer layer, in any month
- Long sleeves under it
- Flat closed shoes with grip
- Sunglasses and sun cream in summer
- A hat that will not blow off
- Gloves and a scarf in May, September and winter
Not included
- Umbrellas, which do not survive an open deck
- Heels and smooth-soled shoes
- Loose hats on the RIB
- Anything you would be upset to see soaked
- A wardrobe: there is nowhere to put a bag down
Put the extra layer in a small bag rather than deciding on the square. The square is warm, the deck is not, and the decision you make standing in the sun by the market stalls is almost always the wrong one. What else to pack is on the packing page.
One thing about the gulls
If you are eating on the terrace at Market Square before you sail, the gulls here take food straight off the table. They are quick and completely unembarrassed. This is not a clothing issue until it is.
One reminder, because it is the mistake I watched most often from the kiosk: the widget above books a sightseeing boat, not the ferry to Suomenlinna. The ferry is run by HSL as part of the city’s public transport, you buy it the way you buy a tram ride, and nobody sells a separate ticket for it here. The ferry has its own page.
Frequently asked questions
What should I wear on a Helsinki boat tour in summer?
One layer more than the city needs, with a windproof jacket over it, long trousers and flat closed shoes. July averages about 18 degrees but the deck is always colder than the shore.
Is it cold on the boat even in July?
On deck, yes. A moving boat makes its own wind and the sundeck empties as soon as the boat leaves the shelter of the islands. Bring a windproof layer whatever the forecast says.
Do I need waterproofs?
A hooded jacket is enough for the loop boats, which have an indoor saloon. An umbrella is useless on an open deck. See weather and rain.
What should I wear on the RIB tour?
Clothes you do not mind getting wet, tied-back hair, no loose hat, and flat shoes. Life jackets and goggles are supplied. Bring a swimming costume and a towel for the sauna: the RIB page.
What do I wear on the Suomenlinna ferry in winter?
Dress to stand still outdoors: hat, gloves, a real coat and boots with grip. February averages about four degrees below zero and the fortress has little shelter.