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.
by John Konrad (gCaptain) You maybe confused by this headline but so are we. USS Freedom (LCS 1), the lead ship of the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship,
What’s your most impossible dream for the maritime industry? by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) We have built billion-dollar ships, we have shared two
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Fat Leonard is the worst scandal to hit the US Navy since Tailhook in 1991, but – despite 33 federal indictments, 22 guilty
The US Navy’s fast transport ship USNS Choctaw County arrived in the port of Beirut on Monday to participate in the US Navy’s first joint Central
Shell has ordered at least three electric ferries to transport its Singapore employees. Expected to set sail in the first half of 2023, the new 200-seater
by John Konrad (gCaptain) In a new study titled Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectiles the US Congress reports the two most important
NSFW Warning: This article contains
During the COVID pandemic the US offshore wind pipeline grew 24%, with 35,324 megawatts now in various stages of
Today via twitter, President Biden called a ‘Red Alert’ for developing wind energy projects. But as of today, only seven wind turbines have been
Marine battery manufacturer Corvus Energy plans an initial public offering (IPO) later this year on the Norwegian Stock Exchange, said the
In August 2001 the Bulk Carrier Windoc was lined up on the Welland Canal’s Bridge 11 in Ontario Canada. After receiving the flashing amber approach light
Suicides aboard ships are rising at an unprecedented rate. Are we doing enough to help mariners in mental distress at
The Suez Canal has donated free passage to the world’s newest hospital ship Mercy Ships’ newbuild Global Mercy. The ship is currently on the
Shares of Overseas Shipholding ($OSG) fell over 20 percent to just $2.13 in early morning trading after Saltchuk Holdings ended discussions on a potential
By Tim Kelly (Reuters) Britain showed off its HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to Japan’s defence chief on Monday at a naval base near Tokyo, marking
As a result of the state’s mandate for COVID-19 vaccines, Washington’s ferry service faces a
By John Konrad (gCaptain) Early this year the influential American Maritime Officers union endorsed Captain Kevin P. Stith for the job of Administrator of the
US Navy and Israeli Navy have strengthened ties by conducting combined maritime security patrols in the Red Sea. Four Israeli and U.S. Navy ships sailed
This month NOAA released the 2021 Biennial Report to Congress for illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and bycatch of protected marine
The Biden administration confirmed late on Tuesday it plans to extend requirements for travelers to wear masks aboard ferries, at ports, and all other public
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