John Konrad

Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain and author of the book Fire On The Horizon. He is licensed to captain the world's largest ships and has sailed from ports around the world. John has built some of the world's most advanced ships and managed billion-dollar offshore construction projects in some of the world's harshest marine environments. John is a distinguished alumnus of New York Maritime College. @JohnKonrad


Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Senator Wicker meats with Navy CNO Admiral Lisa Franchetti during a tour of a shipyard
Navy

US Senator Demands Answers After US Navy Oiler Grounding

Washington, D.C. — Following reports that the U.S. Navy’s fleet oiler, USNS Big Horn, was damaged during a grounding off Oman’s

September 25, 2024
Total Views: 3676

Longshore workings lifting a shipping container with a port crane
Ports

Crypto Gamblers Bet On East Coast Port Strike

As global trade gets rocked by geopolitical events, gamblers are betting on supply chain and economic disruptions. Polymarket, a decentralized prediction

September 25, 2024
Total Views: 1212

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Bankruptcy or Bust: Financial Desperation Doomed the Titan Sub
Accidents

Bankruptcy or Bust: Financial Desperation Doomed the Titan Sub

In the months leading up to the catastrophic implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible, the company’s desperation for cash had already set the stage for

September 24, 2024
Total Views: 2374

Grounding Incidents

US Navy Oiler Runs Aground, Forcing Carrier Strike Group to Scramble for Fuel

by John Konrad – gCaptain has received multiple reports that the US Navy oiler USNS Big Horn ran aground yesterday and partially flooded off the coast

September 24, 2024
Total Views: 161308

Monday, September 23, 2024
China-Shandong_aircraft_carrier_of_People's_Liberation_Army_Navy
Navy

China’s Navy Deploys Triple Carrier Fleet, Icebreakers, and 400 Joint Ships in Massive Show of Strength

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) In an unprecedented display of naval power, China has deployed three aircraft carriers at sea simultaneously for the first

September 23, 2024
Total Views: 52044

Saturday, September 21, 2024
Rolls Royce micro nuclear SMR reactor at an air force base
Engineering News

Rolls-Royce Nuclear Secures Major Micro Reactor Contract

In a move that could redefine the global energy landscape and eventually bring emissions-free energy to shipping, Rolls-Royce has inked a deal with the Czech

September 21, 2024
Total Views: 1811

Friday, September 20, 2024
Ship Fires

Los Angeles Yacht Explodes With Thousands of Pounds of Ammo, Fireworks, and Fuel

Marina del Rey, California (gCaptain) In the early evening Wednesday a yacht explosion in Los Angeles County, transformed from a tranquil harbor to a chaotic

September 20, 2024
Total Views: 7653

Polymarket east coast port strike chart
Ports

Polymarket Betters Predict 63% Chance Of An East Cost Port Strike

As the tides of global trade ebb and flow, a new swell is forming on the horizon—one that could disrupt supply chains and economies alike. Polymarket, a

September 20, 2024
Total Views: 656

Thursday, September 19, 2024
Navy

OpEd – Forget Project 2025, US Navy’s Project 33 Warplan is More Dangerous

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain OpEd) The US Navy’s top Admiral has just unveiled her new “warfighting navy” plan, and it’s a doozy.

September 19, 2024
Total Views: 2776

Cruise Ships

From Dream to Disaster: The Heartbreaking Saga of a Vintage Cruise Ship

STOCKTON, CA – The advertisement was easily overlooked—a dilapidated cruise ship for sale on Craigslist in 2008. But for Chris Willson, a tech

September 19, 2024
Total Views: 8294

Wednesday, September 18, 2024
How The Defense Transportation System Works
Evergreen

WATCH: How US Military Logistics Works

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Contrary to popular belief, Maersk is not the world’s largest shipping company, nor is Delta the world’s largest airline.

September 18, 2024
Total Views: 14220

Russian Superyacht Crescent,
Environment

Oxfam’s £2 Billion Proposal: Tax UK Superyachts and Private Jet Fuel

In an increasingly polarized political climate, Oxfam has turned its attention to a fat target in the fight against carbon emissions: the ultra-wealthy. The

September 18, 2024
Total Views: 1129

Monday, September 16, 2024
Navy

Pacific Dragon: Is the Shipping Industry Ready for Containerized Missile Warfare?

In a groundbreaking naval exercise, the U.S. Navy and its allies tested the launch of one of its most powerful defensive missiles from a shipping container,

September 16, 2024
Total Views: 7158

Russian navy ship shooting automatic deck mounted weapon
Navy

Ocean 2024: 400 Russian and Chinese Navy Ships Flex Power as Aircraft Enter Alaska ADIZ

This past weekend, Russian navy aircraft repeatedly entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) while Russian and Chinese People Liberation Army

September 16, 2024
Total Views: 40892

Evergreen

Could An Electrical Pandemic Destroy Shipping?

by John Konrad (gCaptain) As the world has almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic—the worst global health crisis since the Great Influenza of

September 16, 2024
Total Views: 22429

Sunday, September 15, 2024
MArine chart showing Typhoon Bebinca approaching Shanghai with current position and projected path.
Marine Weather

Shanghai Braces for Typhoon Bebinca: Ports Shut Down Amid Red Alert

By Samuel Shen and Ryan Woo (Reuters) Shanghai halted transportation links, recalled ships and shut tourism spots including Shanghai Disney Resort on Sunday

September 15, 2024
Total Views: 1876

SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule descending with four large parachutes during atlantic ocean splashdown after completing the Polaris Dawn mission. Two recovery boats approach the capsule.
News

Successful Ocean Recovery Caps Historic SpaceX Mission

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and the Polaris Dawn crew made a triumphant return to Earth on Sunday, marking the end of a historic mission. The SpaceX Crew Dragon

September 15, 2024
Total Views: 1339

Japan's newest aircraft carrier underway during joint military exercises in the pacific theater
Navy

Japan’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Sails To California For Flight Trials

Japan’s military is making moves that will put it in the big leagues of naval aviation. Later this year, the Izumo-class carrier Kaga will head to the waters

September 15, 2024
Total Views: 24110

Coast Guard Flagship BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) underway at sea
Defense

Philippines Withdraws Coast Guard Flagship From South China Sea Amid Tensions With China

By Andreo Calonzo (Bloomberg) The Philippines withdrew its Coast Guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that’s recently been at the center of tensions

September 15, 2024
Total Views: 1962

Saturday, September 14, 2024
Navy

China’s Seafarer Wages Soar as U.S. Mariners Struggle with Pay Stagflation

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) For decades, American merchant mariners have been in a state of stagnation. Despite their crucial role in U.S. shipping and

September 14, 2024
Total Views: 2568