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.
With much of the world’s ferry fleet in need of renewal and increasing regulatory pressure to cut emissions, operators are seeking alternatives without
by John Konrad (gCaptain) On Friday, President Biden warned that Russia could attack Ukraine “any day now” and “the United States together with
Did the US Coast Guard just block an important #MidshipmanX Sexual Assualt And Harassment (SASH) initiative at the IMO? Who are the members of the United
By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) CNBC editor Lori Ann LaRocco is a superstar in the world of logistics and seaborne trade. LaRocco’s tireless and timely
Today gCaptain received reports that the Pentagon began loading Military Sealift Command ships with tanks and heavy equipment. While we are unable to confirm
This week Destin Sandlin’s highly popular Smarter Everyday channel on YouTube is kicking off a new US Coast Guard series with this video about the
Next Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, former US Deputy Secretary of State and the first Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte
The US containership company Matson, which has been making record profits as freight rates and whose stock hit a new all-time high today, announced it would be
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Stock prices of the three largest cruise ship owners – Carnival $CCL, Royal Caribbean International $RCL, and Norwegian Cruise
On this week’s episode of What’s Going on With Shipping, gCaptain contributor and YouTube host Sal Mercogliano is joined by maritime stock expert
Is MARAD's new chief hostile to the Oil and Gas industry? Senator Ted Cruz wants to know.
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Is the Port of Los Angeles, and its Executive Director Gene Seroka, too big to fail? Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Last night, during an “industry call” that began with a plead not to share this information with journalists, the
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The chairmen of six congressional committees wrote a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Buttigieg in response to
by John Konrad (gCaptain) This week the U.S. branch of Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) issued a strong statement of
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) The FAA is headed by a pilot, NASA is headed by an astronaut, the US Marine Corps is headed by a Marine but for
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, has joined a growing chorus of voices, that are speaking out in support of Midshipman X, the college student the US Merchant Marine
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Today Deputy Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley ordered a one-day safety stand-down at the United States Merchant Marine
By John Konrad (OpEd) Gene Seroka, Executive Director Of The Port Of Los Angeles, is fighting a war of attrition that history shows he will loose. Fortunately
By Ana Mano (Reuters) Brazil’s port regulator targeted the local unit of global grains merchant Bunge and two port agents in an investigation announced
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