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.


Monday, June 15, 2015
deep sea jellyfish
News

Stunning VIDEO Of Newly Discovered Deep Sea Creatures

A team of scientists aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer have mounted a unique crowd-sourced exploration of the largely unknown deep sea off

June 15, 2015
Total Views: 145

Sunday, June 14, 2015
gCaptain Book Review: Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson
News

gCaptain Book Review: Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson

“A terrific read. I was pulled in from page one. Kurson brings us face to face with some of the most swashbuckling pirates ever to sail the Caribbean, even

June 14, 2015
Total Views: 109

Thursday, June 11, 2015
Training ship T.S. State of Maine
Defense

Sailing Singlehanded – Maine Maritime Training Ship Rescues North Atlantic Sailor

[contextly_sidebar id=”jcd8yvs8kD72zEs996psv8vyaESiVGJC”]Maine Maritime Academy’s Training Ship State of Maine responded to a distress call

June 11, 2015
Total Views: 140

SPOTD: India’s First Homegrown Aircraft Carrier Float Out
Navy

SPOTD: India’s First Homegrown Aircraft Carrier Float Out

India yesterday undocked its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a simple ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). INS Vikrant is the

June 11, 2015
Total Views: 205

Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Sea Shepherd Denied by US Supreme Court And Ordered To Pay Whalers Millions
Environment

Sea Shepherd Denied by US Supreme Court And Ordered To Pay Whalers Millions

The hard-line antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says it has agreed to pay US$2.55 million in damages for its continued obstruction of

June 10, 2015
Total Views: 268

Monday, June 8, 2015
Google Releases Stunning Underwater Street View For World Oceans Day
Blog

Google Releases Stunning Underwater Street View For World Oceans Day

In celebration of World Oceans Day  Google has announced a new map feature that can allow you to explore brand new Street View imagery of more than 40

June 8, 2015
Total Views: 164

Thursday, June 4, 2015
Old Shipping Routes Map
Blog

Plot Logbook Entries from 18/19th century ship logs and you get this amazing chart

Scan a large collection of 18th- and 19th-century ships’ logs (1), plot them on a blank digital canvas canvas, and you get this extraordinary world map.

June 4, 2015
Total Views: 468

M/V Courage Arrives In Southampton, 100 Charred Vehicles Expected
Lifesaving Incidents

M/V Courage Arrives In Southampton, 100 Charred Vehicles Expected

A transporter ship that caught fire off the coast of Essex has arrived in Southampton. The American crew of the RoRo M/V Courage are reported safe after

June 4, 2015
Total Views: 374

HMS Queen Elizabeth next to the current largest ship in the fleet HMS illustrious.
Navy

SPOTD: HMS Queen Elizabeth next to the 2nd largest British warship

This aerial ship photo of the day shows the  HMS Queen Elizabeth next to the 2nd largest British warship the HMS Illustrious. At 280 m (920 ft) LOA and

June 4, 2015
Total Views: 851

WATCH: How NOT To Capsize When Crossing The Bar [VIDEO]
Video

WATCH: How NOT To Capsize When Crossing The Bar [VIDEO]

Curious how NOT to capsize your fishing vessel in heavy seas? New Zealand journalist Geoff Mackley decided to visit the infamous Greymouth Bar, grab

June 4, 2015
Total Views: 646

Scorpio Bulkers To Sell Five Newbuilds
News

Scorpio Bulkers To Sell Five Newbuilds

Related Book: The Shipping Man by Matthew McCleery Scorpio Bulkers announced today that it has entered into agreements to sell three Capesize newbuilding

June 4, 2015
Total Views: 68

Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Maersk Signs $1.8B Deal With DSME
Ship Design

Maersk Signs $1.8B Deal With DSME

Maersk Line, a unit in shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, said on Tuesday it had ordered 11 ultra-large container vessels from South Korea's Daewoo

June 3, 2015
Total Views: 340

US Flagged RoRo Fire Off  Isle Of Wight
News

US Flagged RoRo Fire Off Isle Of Wight

A ship’s crew has been tackling a blaze on a transporter carrying cars and US military vehicles. The UK MCA has reported a fire was reported at 22:00 BST

June 3, 2015
Total Views: 86

Tuesday, June 2, 2015
LOOK – Close Look At The Complexity Of An FPSO [PHOTO]
Interesting

LOOK – Close Look At The Complexity Of An FPSO [PHOTO]

Today’s ship photo of the day is an extremely high detailed HDR Image the FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) vessel constructed by

June 2, 2015
Total Views: 205

Monday, June 1, 2015
UPDATE: Chinese River Ship Capsizes In Storm, 458 People Aboard
Lifesaving Incidents

UPDATE: Chinese River Ship Capsizes In Storm, 458 People Aboard

WUHAN, June 2 (Xinhua) — The BBC is reporting that a passenger ship carrying 458 people sank Monday night in the Hubei section of China’s Yangtze

June 1, 2015
Total Views: 62

sea shepard ships Farley Mowat and Jules Verne
Blog

Sea Shepard Grows “Eco-Pirate” Fleet With Purchase Of USCG Vessels

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has secured two new ships to join its growing armada of activism. Sea Shepherd USA purchased two recently decommissioned U.S.

June 1, 2015
Total Views: 147

Ship Of Death SAGE_SAGITTARIUS
News

Sage Sagittarius, Ship Of Death – ABC Spotlights Murder On The High Seas

The ABC Australia show Four Corners today released the above video about alleged murders aboard the bulk carrier SAGE SAGITTARIUS. Four Corners pieces together

June 1, 2015
Total Views: 151

SV VESTFONN - Baker Hughs Supply Vessel
Ship Fires

Engine Room Fire Breaks Out Aboard Baker Hughes Supply Vessel

The Indian Coast Guard hreported that a major fire broke out on the Baker Hughes Oil Field Services (India) supply vessel Vestfonn off the coast of Mumbai

June 1, 2015
Total Views: 191

Sunday, May 31, 2015
Anti Ship Missile Infographic
Navy

One Big Chart Showing All The Missiles That Can Sink A Ship

[contextly_sidebar id=”ymGx32Jd0NLK7ToTWECtMGQrB87mTsh0″]The first anti-ship missiles (ASMs), developed and built by Nazi Germany, used

May 31, 2015
Total Views: 4075

Friday, May 29, 2015
Ocean Falcon
Press Releases

Launched: North Sea’s Newest Multi Role, Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel

Today Atlantic Offshore Rescue will unveil the third new vessel in the past 12 months as part of its fleet modernisation programme, representing an investment

May 29, 2015
Total Views: 635