Making training work at sea: an offline-first approach

Designing training software for maritime use means accepting a fundamental constraint: connectivity at sea is unreliable, expensive, and slow. Any training platform that requires a constant internet connection has already failed.

The connectivity challenge

Vessels at sea typically rely on:

• VSAT — Relatively fast but expensive and shared across the crew
• Fleet Broadband — Slower, often metered by the megabyte
• L-band — Very slow, suitable only for email and basic data

Streaming video or loading heavy web applications is impractical. Yet most modern e-learning platforms are built for office broadband.

Offline-first architecture

An offline-first approach means:

1. Content is cached locally — Training modules download when bandwidth allows
2. Progress syncs opportunistically — Completion data uploads when connected
3. The interface works without network — No loading spinners, no error states
4. Conflict resolution is handled automatically — If data is modified on multiple devices, the system resolves it

Practical considerations

Building for maritime means thinking about:

• Storage constraints — Vessel computers may have limited disk space
• Multiple users, one device — Crew share training computers
• Watch schedules — Training happens in short windows between duties
• Varying technical literacy — The UI must be intuitive for all experience levels

What this means for content design

Offline-first constraints actually improve content quality:

• Shorter modules — Forces content creators to be concise
• Text-heavy, not video-heavy — More bandwidth-efficient and easier to reference
• Self-contained lessons — Each module makes sense on its own
• Lightweight assessments — Quick scenario checks instead of lengthy exams

The best maritime training platform is the one that works when the internet doesn't.