The recent editorial "The USS Fitzgerald Is At Fault. This Is Why." has been read 103,667 times, shared by 9,699 people via social media and ignited a firestorm of over 500 facebook comments, forum posts, emails and phone calls to gCaptain HQ. Feedback I have received from Navy brass, journalists, pilots and Merchant Mariners working aboard commercial ships has been positive. … [Read more...]
About John Konrad
The USS Fitzgerald Is At Fault. This Is Why.
Editor's note: According to google this article has been read by 133,570 people and has received over 500 comments, questions and replies on Facebook and the gCaptain Forum. Here is Captain Konrad's response: Why The USS Fitzgerald Is At Fault, Part 2 – Questions And Answers By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Every ship, regardless of nationality or … [Read more...]
USCG Tests Using Diesel Outboards On Fast Rescue Boats
Gasoline is the dominant fuel source for Fast Rescue Boats aboard merchant ships but it is difficult to obtain, dangerous to store and has a limited shelf life aboard ship. Diesel fuel has none of those problems. Can it be a suitable replacement? The United States Coast Guard has been researching this topic. Here is their report: by Loretta … [Read more...]
10 High Resolution Photos Of US Navy Destroyer Collision
Seven sailors are missing and three injured after the USS Fitzgerald, a US Navy Destroyer, collided early on Saturday morning with a Philippine-flagged containership south of Tokyo Bay in Japan. Here are the incident photos, click on each photo for the High Resolution versions. USS Fitzgerald Damage Damage To The Containership ACX Crystal AIS Track Of Containership … [Read more...]
Search Continues As Damaged Destroyer Hobbles Into Port
The Japanese coast guard is leading the search for seven sailors missing after their U.S. destroyer collided with a container ship early Saturday. The USS Fitzgerald was damaged both above the waterline by the containership's bow and below the waterline by the bulbous bow.. A search for debris will be conducted by the US Navy. The ship was last seen near the pier, … [Read more...]
Will This Ship Killer Make Naval Convoys Obsolete?
The Tomahawk missile is famous for attacking stationary targets on land, but except for a short-lived anti-ship variant now out of service, it had not been used against mobile or floating targets. That changed dramatically two years ago when a modified Tomahawk punched a hole through a shipping container on the deck of a moving merchant ship (video … [Read more...]
Norwegian Cruise Line Hires Lifeguards After Multiple Child Deaths
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced that the line will begin employing certified lifeguards at all of the family pools across their fleet. The need for Lifeguards aboard cruise ships was first highlighted in the a highly controversial expose gCaptain published in 2013. Disney Cruises was the first large ship operator to hire lifeguards several … [Read more...]