Local Maritime History Course
This course takes you on a journey through the centuries to uncover the maritime history of a coastline and its community. You will explore key events, notable figures and seafaring traditions, legendary ships, coastal trade and the transformation of ports, learn to work with archives, maps and first-hand accounts, and gain a deep understanding of maritime heritage that connects you with local roots and identity.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Local Maritime History Course?
This short course prepares you to research, understand and share the maritime history of a specific place: a port, a fishing quarter, a stretch of coast or a seafaring community. You will study how local maritime history relates to naval, port, fishing and coastal cultural history; the sources available, from archives, photographs, maps and the press to oral testimony, objects and port records; the evolution of ports, coastal shipping, trade and harbor infrastructure; the history of local fishing and traditional crafts such as boatbuilding, net-making and salting; and tangible and intangible heritage, shipwrecks, cultural landscapes and collective memory.
What sets this course apart: a hands-on approach to working with local archives and first-hand accounts; practical training in analyzing primary sources and building rigorous historical narratives; attention to the social side of maritime work, including fishermen's guilds, family roles and the transmission of knowledge; content that is engaging and rigorous for participants of different levels; and an applied project in which you research a local maritime topic and turn it into an exhibition, guided route, dossier, audiovisual piece, digital archive or educational activity.
Program highlights
- Sources and method: archives, photographs, maps, press, oral testimony, objects and port records.
- Ports and trade: coastal shipping, harbor infrastructure and the growth of seafaring quarters.
- Fishing and crafts: fishing gear, boatbuilding, net-making, salting, canneries and fish markets.
- Social history: fishermen's guilds, seafaring families, gender roles and the transmission of knowledge.
- Heritage and memory: shipwrecks, legends, festivals, place names and coastal cultural landscapes.
- Applied project: a local history study with a proposal for sharing it with the public.
Syllabus of the Local Maritime History Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of local maritime history, coastal memory and territorial identity
- 1.1. The concept of local maritime history and the differences between naval history, port history, fishing history and coastal cultural history
- 1.2. The relationship between the sea, the community, the port, trade, navigation, fishing, crafts and everyday life
- 1.3. Sources for studying maritime history: archives, photographs, maps, the press, oral testimony, objects and port records
- 1.4. Historical actors: fishermen, sailors, shipowners, merchants, shipyards, pilots, net-makers, lighthouse keepers and coastal families
- 1.5. Social, economic and urban changes linked to local maritime development
Ports, navigation, trade and the transformation of the local coastline
- 2.1. The evolution of the port as a space for exchange, defense, work, transport, migration and regional connection
- 2.2. Local sea routes, coastal shipping, commercial traffic, goods, vessels and relations with other ports
- 2.3. Port infrastructure: quays, breakwaters, lighthouses, warehouses, fish markets, shipyards, slipways and seafronts
- 2.4. The impact of the port on urban growth, seafaring quarters, employment, services and local economic life
- 2.5. Conflicts and tensions over uses of the coast: fishing, trade, tourism, industry, housing and conservation
Fishing, traditional crafts and the culture of maritime work
- 3.1. The history of local fishing: fishing gear, seasons, boats, species and traditional markets
- 3.2. Maritime crafts: traditional boatbuilding, net-making, salting, canneries, stevedoring, ship repair and fish market sales
- 3.3. The social organization of maritime work, fishermen's guilds, fishing families, gender roles and the transmission of knowledge
- 3.4. Tools, techniques, seafaring vocabulary, songs, beliefs, rituals and customs associated with the sea
- 3.5. Technological change, fishing crises, regulation, modernization and the loss or adaptation of traditional crafts
Maritime heritage, shipwrecks, boats, cultural landscapes and collective memory
- 4.1. Tangible maritime heritage: boats, models, engines, nets, instruments, nautical charts, buildings and port artifacts
- 4.2. Intangible heritage: stories, legends, festivals, gastronomy, place names, nautical knowledge and oral memory
- 4.3. Shipwrecks, storms, rescues, accidents, sailing stories and significant events in the community
- 4.4. Maritime cultural landscapes: beaches, lighthouses, cliffs, ports, slipways, seafaring quarters and coastal routes
- 4.5. Conservation, documentation, interpretation and protection of local maritime heritage
Applied project in local maritime history
- 5.1. Definition of the case: port, seafaring quarter, traditional craft, maritime family, boat, route, archive or local historical event
- 5.2. Diagnosis of available sources, community actors, testimonies, objects, photographs and relevant places
- 5.3. Design of the research with objectives, questions, methodology, timetable and documentation criteria
- 5.4. Preparation of a historical narrative with context, chronology, protagonists, heritage and the transformation of the territory
- 5.5. Proposal for sharing the results through an exhibition, guided route, dossier, audiovisual piece, digital archive or educational activity
Duration and format of the Local Maritime History Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Local Maritime History Course
Career opportunities after the Local Maritime History Course
Questions about the Local Maritime History Course
The course gives you the method and themes to study any coastal locality. In the applied project you choose your own port, seafaring quarter, craft or event and research it.
No. The content is rigorous but accessible, and it suits enthusiasts, guides, teachers and members of local associations as well as people with a background in history.
Archives, historical photographs, maps and charts, the local press, port records, logbooks, objects and oral testimony, and how to assess their reliability and bias.
Yes. One module covers local fishing, gear and seasons, crafts such as boatbuilding, net-making and salting, fishermen's guilds and how these trades have changed.
Yes. It helps you build rigorous, engaging stories about ports, shipwrecks, seafaring quarters and coastal landscapes, and the project can take the form of a guided route.
You define a local topic, map the available sources and testimonies, design the research, write a historical narrative and propose how to share it with the public.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with multimedia resources, practical source-analysis activities and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Culture and heritage
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at local history enthusiasts, history students and teachers, tour guides and cultural promoters, members of cultural and neighbourhood associations who want to preserve and share maritime memory, and people researching ancestors linked to life at sea; a background in the humanities, history or geography is helpful but not essential.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer, tablet or smartphone with a stable internet connection and software to view PDF documents.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.