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.


Sunday, February 27, 2022
NS_CHAMPION
Ports

UK May Close Ports To Russian Ships

Today the Guardian reported that the UK may restrict Russian ships from using British ports after it emerged that an oil tanker owned by Sovcomflot,

February 27, 2022
Total Views: 4599

Saturday, February 26, 2022
Turkey Did NOT Close The Bosphorus To Russian Ships
Navy

Turkey Did NOT Close The Bosphorus To Russian Ships

In the last hour several media outlets worldwide began reporting that Turkey closed the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits to Russian ships, but, Reuters is now

February 26, 2022
Total Views: 15092

Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Dive Weld Training
Blog

How Are Structures Built Underwater?

Despite being beautiful and useful, rivers, lakes, harbors, and oceans are not always the best places to build. Tools and construction materials work better

February 23, 2022
Total Views: 4915

Thursday, February 17, 2022
ELECTRA foiling ferry
Environment

California Startup Inches Closer To Building A Fast Electric Foiling Ferry

With much of the world’s ferry fleet in need of renewal and increasing regulatory pressure to cut emissions, operators are seeking alternatives without

February 17, 2022
Total Views: 2205

Monday, February 14, 2022
Ukraine Crisis: Wall Street Should Forget Putin And Start Counting Ships
Defense

Ukraine Crisis: Wall Street Should Forget Putin And Start Counting Ships

by John Konrad (gCaptain) On Friday, President Biden warned that Russia could attack Ukraine “any day now” and “the United States together with

February 14, 2022
Total Views: 9473

Thursday, February 10, 2022
Ocean Rebellion protest
Shipping

Who Blocked The IMO From Passing New Midshipman X Initiatives?

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

February 10, 2022
Total Views: 4655

Monday, January 31, 2022
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell
Finance

OPED – Could The Federal Reserve Fix Our Ports?

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

January 31, 2022
Total Views: 1348

Sunday, January 30, 2022
Captain John Konrad, gCaptain Founder & CEO
Blog

Editorial: Admiral, I Am NOT Ready For War

Today gCaptain received reports that the Pentagon began loading Military Sealift Command ships with tanks and heavy equipment. While we are unable to confirm

January 30, 2022
Total Views: 9384

Saturday, January 29, 2022
Zig-Zag Coast Guard Search and Rescue Pattern
Video

Watch: Why The Zig-Zag Search And Rescue Pattern is Genius

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

January 29, 2022
Total Views: 4124

Thursday, January 27, 2022
US Virgin Islands Flag
Shipping News

US Announces New Open Registry

Next Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, former US Deputy Secretary of State and the first Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte

January 27, 2022
Total Views: 6611

Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Editorial credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com
Shipping

Matson Diverts Ships To Tonga

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

January 26, 2022
Total Views: 8326

Thursday, January 13, 2022
Norwegian cruise ship docking
Cruise Ships

Cruise Stocks Remain Buoyant Despite 83 Omicron Infected Ships, Crew Quarantines, And Decreasing Customer Spending

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Stock prices of the three largest cruise ship owners – Carnival $CCL, Royal Caribbean International $RCL, and Norwegian Cruise

January 13, 2022
Total Views: 1180

Saturday, January 8, 2022
j-mintzmyer-mercogliano
Finance

Watch: What’s Going On With Ship Stocks?

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

January 8, 2022
Total Views: 1970

Friday, December 17, 2021
New MARAD Admiral Phillips Stonewalls US Senate
Shipping News

New MARAD Admiral Phillips Stonewalls US Senate

Is MARAD's new chief hostile to the Oil and Gas industry? Senator Ted Cruz wants to know.

December 17, 2021
Total Views: 5780

Sunday, November 7, 2021
Gene-Seroka-port-of-LA
Ports

OPED- Who Put Gene Seroka In Charge Of National Maritime Policy?

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

November 7, 2021
Total Views: 7969

Wednesday, November 3, 2021
MARAD Cancels Cadet Shipping
Incidents

MARAD Cancels Cadet Shipping

by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Last night, during an “industry call” that began with a plead not to share this information with journalists, the

November 3, 2021
Total Views: 12068

Sunday, October 31, 2021
Vice Admiral Jack Buono
Incidents

Congress Calls To Shutdown Cadet Shipping And Says The Maritime Industry is Toxic

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The chairmen of six congressional committees wrote a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Buttigieg in response to

October 31, 2021
Total Views: 19137

Thursday, October 21, 2021
oil tanker crew member
Incidents

WISTA Supports Midshipman X And Condemns ‘Horrific And Egregious’ Assaults At Sea

by John Konrad (gCaptain) This week the U.S. branch of Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) issued a strong statement of

October 21, 2021
Total Views: 1561

Friday, October 15, 2021
Admiral Ann Phillips MARAD
News

Biden Appoints US Maritime Administrator With Zero Shipping Experience During Worst Shipping Crisis In Decades

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

October 15, 2021
Total Views: 35927

Tuesday, October 12, 2021
maersk-ship-stack-logo
Incidents

Maersk Tweets Messages Of Support For Midshipman X

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

October 12, 2021
Total Views: 2262