John Konrad

Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain, one of the world’s most-read maritime news websites, and a member of the Pentagon Press Corps. He holds a USCG Master Unlimited license. John studied naval architecture at the U.S. Naval Academy before graduating from SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Transportation. He is also a Y Combinator Startup School alumnus. His decade at sea included service aboard Military Sealift Command-operated ships, crude-oil supertankers running to Valdez, and dynamically positioned drillships supporting deepwater projects. In industry leadership roles, he participated in major offshore exploration and drilling campaigns, including the KG-D6 discovery with Reliance Industries and world record-setting deepwater work with Chevron. On April 20, 2010, John had finished overseeing the $750 million Deep Ocean Ascension newbuild project for BP when the Deepwater Horizon exploded. His seven years at Transocean and personal ties to members of the Horizon crew drove him to investigate the disaster, resulting in Fire on the Horizon (HarperCollins, 2011). In 2025, he co-authored Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise for Marine Corps University Press. John has contributed to publications including Forbes, CIMSEC, Lloyd’s List, and the U.S. Coast Guard Compass, and has appeared on outlets including NPR and the BBC. He has also consulted for major newsrooms and public institutions on maritime reporting and offshore industry topics. His reporting draws on primary documents, official maritime records, and on-the-record sources cultivated over two decades in the industry. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and a member of the Council of American Master Mariners and the Navy League of the United States. His work has been recognized with the U.S. Navy Combined Maritime Forces Naval Support Award and SUNY Maritime’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award.


Monday, November 4, 2024
Army soldier Quandarius Davon Stanley
Defense

US Army Soldier Dies from Injuries in Biden-Harris Gaza Pier Debacle

Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a 23-year-old U.S. soldier, has paid the ultimate price for a mission many experts warned was flawed from the start. This is the

November 4, 2024
Total Views: 12600

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
MIT Diplomas, Gala Dinners And Executive Magazine Covers Won’t Save The U.S. Merchant Marine
Shipping

MIT Diplomas, Gala Dinners And Executive Magazine Covers Won’t Save The U.S. Merchant Marine

Why aren’t labor leaders willing to fight for our survival in increasingly dangerous seas? by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain OpEd) Adam Vocak, president

October 29, 2024
Total Views: 2915

German navy ship at dock flying flags
Navy

Red Sea Is Now So Dangerous Even NATO Warships Are Avoiding It

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest and most strategically vital waterways, has become so hazardous that even the German Navy

October 29, 2024
Total Views: 10792

Sunday, October 27, 2024
Donald-Trump-Aboard-Navy-Ship-USS Gerald Ford
Navy

Could Trump Rebuild and Repair The US Navy?

Today, the focus of nearly every American is on the election. However, more important than the president himself is who the transition team selects for key

October 27, 2024
Total Views: 3282

Photo of coast guard sailor wearing a PFD staring out at a USCGC
USCG

America’s Coast Guard Faces Impossible Odds Without More Funding

by John Konrad (gCaptain) United States Coast Guard operations have never been more crucial. Ninety percent of global trade moves by sea, and more than twenty

October 27, 2024
Total Views: 3233

FLIP platform being towed to sea
Blog

This Flipping Ship Just Escaped the Wrecker’s Claws—And Her Story Is Mind-Blowing!

In a quiet corner of the Pacific last August, a vessel unlike any other was making what many thought was its final voyage. R/P FLIP (Floating Instrument

October 27, 2024
Total Views: 16555

Thursday, October 24, 2024
Youtube thumbnail about Inland Rivers
Video

The Forgotten Barge Superhighway: Why the Mississippi River Still Matters

by John Konrad (gCaptain) There is perhaps no single geographic feature that has done more for the American economy than the Mississippi River. Unlike any

October 24, 2024
Total Views: 1933

Sunday, October 20, 2024
US Navy Pays Nearly Double to Charter Oil Tankers
Featured

US Navy Pays Nearly Double to Charter Oil Tankers

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The U.S. Navy has inked a deal to charter a U.S.-flagged tanker from US Marine Management at nearly double the average market rate,

October 20, 2024
Total Views: 9883

A Maersk containership is seen near Suez Canal Bridge which is known as the "Peace Bridge" in the Suez Canal, Egypt, August 6, 2023. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS
Shipping News

Maersk Defies Russian Port Attacks, Resumes Regular Service to Ukraine

In a bold move amidst Russia’s intensified rocket attacks on civilian ships and Ukrainian ports, Maersk has launched a new weekly container service into

October 20, 2024
Total Views: 2217

Silhouette of a navy sailor against a golden sky
Blog

Would You Sail Through a War Zone? These Yachts Did—Here’s How They Survived The Red Sea

Yachting World is reporting that while missiles rain down on oil tanekrs and major shipping companies divert billions in cargo away from the Bab-el-Mandeb

October 20, 2024
Total Views: 3025

Alaska cruise ship in port with mountain and clouds in the background
Cruise Ships

Juneau Alaska Rejects Cruise Ship Ban Despite Eco-Outcry

The New York Times reports that from Venice, Amsterdam and Greece to Key West and Maine, cities are increasingly scrutinizing the overwhelming presence of

October 20, 2024
Total Views: 3694

Saturday, October 19, 2024
Empty Army watercraft backed up onto a beach with tanks and equipment waiting to load
Defense

Government Watchdog Blasts US Army For Watercraft Failures

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) The US Army continues to ask for more money claiming its the lynchpin in a future Pacific War but this week the Government

October 19, 2024
Total Views: 2703

A drone with wings being launched off a ship at sea
Merchant Marine

Are Ships Obsolete in an Age of Drones and Missiles? Admiral Stavridis Says NO

by John Konrad (gCaptain) In Admiral James Stavridis’s recent hard hitting Washington Post OpEd, he reminds us that warfare often defies easy narratives, and

October 19, 2024
Total Views: 1660

Iranian Navy Ship conducting at sea drill
Featured

As Tensions Soar, Iran and Russia Launch Naval Drills in a High-Stakes Triangle of Maritime Coercion

Iran has launched naval drills in the Indian Ocean, hosting Russia and Oman amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. The maneuvers, dubbed “IMEX

October 19, 2024
Total Views: 14243

Wednesday, October 16, 2024
FILE PHOTO: Midshipmen walk along the Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) Admin Pier, an 800-foot long, small-craft pier, created by attaching non-powered Navy lighterage causeway sections together. U.S. Navy photo taken on July 15, 2008.
Shipping

Army Commands D.C. Spotlight, But It’s the Navy and Merchant Marine Fighting the Future Fight

When the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine hold their joint annual Sea Air Space conference, it barely fills a single hotel. In stark contrast, this

October 16, 2024
Total Views: 1855

Monday, October 14, 2024
CDC Shames The Nastiest, Dirtiest Cruise Ships
Cruise Ships

CDC Shames The Nastiest, Dirtiest Cruise Ships

The open sea calls, exotic ports tempt, and buffets overflow—perhaps cultivating a microbial zoo in your gut. As you step aboard, a question lingers like a

October 14, 2024
Total Views: 17626

Saturday, October 12, 2024
Photo of the Navy warship illuminated by lights at a dock under a dark night sky
Navy

US Navy Reloads Missiles At Sea: Is America Now Ready For A Naval War With China?

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Picture this: A hulking warship bobbing in the Pacific, its missile silos as empty as a politician’s promises.

October 12, 2024
Total Views: 6934

A large cruise ship with Mediterranean town in the background during a sunny day.
Cruise Ships

Newest Mega Cruise Ship Sun Princess Underway After Storm Delay & Evacuations

Princess Cruises’ newest flagship, Sun Princess, was set to make its highly anticipated U.S. debut on October 9 at Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, after a

October 12, 2024
Total Views: 9254

Thursday, October 10, 2024
Four photos of Lieutenant Dan defeying police and surviving Hurricane Milton
Featured

Here’s How ‘Lt Dan’ Survived Hurricane Milton In A Tiny Sailboat

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Joseph Malinowski, nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” went viral after defying both a massive hurricane and authorities’ pleas

October 10, 2024
Total Views: 12840

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Navy

28 Chinese Cutters and Warships Surge Into Philippine Waters – Water Cannons Blast Fisheries Vessels

The Scarborough Shoal, a long-disputed maritime flashpoint in the South China Sea – where over 190 Chinese vessels, including 28 cutters and PLAN

October 9, 2024
Total Views: 12845