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Shipbuilding
Deadline Looms For ‘Airbus Of The Sea’ Shipyard Deal
MILAN, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri’s planned acquisition of state-controlled French rival Chantiers de
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.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Friday, December 18, 2020
Lifesaving Incidents
15 Sailors Missing From Bulker Off Vietnam
At least 15 sailors were missing on Thursday after the Panama-flagged cargo ship Xin Hong capsized in rough seas off Vietnam. The incident happened near the
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Blog
Captain Of Chaos – Masters Of Luck And Rule Tyrants
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Over the past few years a few of my fellow captains and I have been working on new ways to teach Bridge Resource Management (BRM).
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Blog
Interview With Rear Admiral Jack Buono, Superintendent of the USMMA at Kings Point
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Last week gCaptain had the privilege of interviewing Rear Admiral Jack Buono, USMS. Two years ago Buono was appointed as the
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Blog
Board Diversity Action Alliance Launches Without A Single Maritime Company
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Just under a month since the start of the Board Diversity Action Alliance, big-time businesses including Albertsons, Centene Corp.,
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Interesting
US Navy Thanks Merchant Mariners On YouTube
Just days after Veterans day the US Navy released this video via YouTube and all its social media channels thanking US Merchant Mariners for their service to
gCaptain
gCaptain Shop Black Friday Week Discount
The gCaptain Shop is open for the holiday season with some new designs and returns of some old favorites. Please note that due to COVID deliveries will be
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Blog
Forbes Challenges The Biden Administration To Act Now On Maritime Appointments
by John Konrad (gCaptain) In August 2017 President Trump swore in Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby as MARAD Administrator, the top civilian maritime position in the
Monday, November 16, 2020
Environment
Ocean Rebellion Protestors Bring Gasoline And Matches To IMO HQ
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The London Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), was besieged again by Ocean Rebellion protestors on
Friday, November 6, 2020
News
EDITORIAL: Eagle Invests Big Money In Crew Crisis Solutions
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Over 300,000 seafarers are stuck at sea in what the Pope has called one of the biggest crises ever to face the maritime
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Defense
McMurdo Resupply Canceled – US’s Only Heavy Icebreaker Will Go North Instead
This year the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the nation’s only heavy icebreaker, will not deploy to Antarctica to resupply McMurdo station this year
Monday, November 2, 2020
Environment
Bill Gates Launches A Nuclear Ship Battery Partnership
It’s been over sixty years since the first (and last) US-flagged nuclear-powered cargo ship set sail but, if Bill Gates has his way, the ocean may soon
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
News
Maersk Enters Partnership To Supply COVID-19 Vaccines
COVAXX, a Long Island biotech company developing a multitope synthetic peptide-based vaccine to fight COVID-19, has announced a global logistics partnership
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Blog
China’s Maritime One Belt Road Goes Digital As US Navy Spends Billions On Weapon Technology
by Captain John Konrad V (gCaptain) The stock of China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMSE – SHA) climbed higher after the release of the
Thursday, October 8, 2020
News
Dark Story: Harvard Economist Explains Why Captains Are Arrested When Oil Is Spilled
In the opening scene to the movie All the Presidents Men, the most famous whistleblower in history (Deep Throat) gives Washington Post investigative journalist
Monday, October 5, 2020
News
Maritime Monday – The Top Maritime News Headlines Of The Week
Please standby as we continue to test opportunities for the return of our Maritime Monday weekly news brief. Here are the top maritime news stories of
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Defense
IMO Cyber-attack Has Serious Implications
For the past day and a half, visitors to the official International Maritime Organization website, www.IMO.org, have been greeted with the message “This
Cruise Ships
CDC Director Warns That Cruise Ship Travel Exacerbates The Spread Of COVID19
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Today Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), announced in a new report that cruise ship travel
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Blog
Op-Ed: The Popular Mechanics Of Maritime Innovation
by John Konrad (gCaptain) During a popular maritime innovation event today the Chief Innovation Officer of a major shipping company painted an enthusiastic
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Blog
Is Today World Maritime Day Or Maritime Fail Day?
Today is World Maritime Day, and a search of Google News reveals that the IMO has failed during what – because of the fact that more than 300,000
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