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.
In an insightful interview yesterday with Lester Holt of NBC, retired Admiral James Stavridis, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, provided
By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain OpEd) Last week, two US-flagged ships manned by US Merchant Mariners were targeted by Houthis and forced to turn around. This
Both the G7 and the US-led military coalition have been unsuccessful in protecting trade in the Red Sea, Black Sea and other maritime regions. Is there a more
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain OpEd) Today, the US Navy is experiencing two contrasting situations. On one hand, the USS Carney and other warships continue
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) When it comes to Army combat, few commands harden a soldier like “fix bayonets”. However, in merchant convoy
by John Konrad (gCaptain) In the Red Sea, Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) is witnessing a gradual increase in naval strength. Led by the United States, OPG
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Shares of the Israeli shipping company Zim plunged over 17 percent in premarket trading today following reports that their Chinese
According to breaking news by the Israeli financial news outlet Globes, the prominent Chinese shipping conglomerate COSCO has halted its maritime services to
by John Konrad (gCaptain) USS Carney, the formidable Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer renowned for its role in safeguarding ships in the Red Sea
by John Konrad (gCaptain) On Tuesday, Turkey made the controversial decision to block two British minehunter ships from entering the Black Sea, citing the
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd will continue to divert its vessels around the Suez Canal for security reasons, a spokesperson for the
On Thursday the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced action against financial networks aiding the Houthi
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Today in the Red Sea, the crew of the Maersk Hangzhou took evasive action and opened fire on Houthi boats that were aggressively
by John Konrad (gCaptain) In the dynamic world of global shipping, the partial blockage of the Red Sea has become a critical test of strategy for major
Will the actions of Houthi militants and climate activists inadvertently avert the widely anticipated financial fallout in the containership market set for
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain OpEd) LloydsList is a competitor of my publication gCaptain. We believe in shipping media working together for the greater
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Action in the Red Sea has reignited. A report by US Central Command says the navy, operating as part of Operation Prosperity
UPDATE: The Economic Times is reporting the ship attacked was the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto by John Konrad (gCaptain) Bloomberg is
This is a rapidly evolving story, please subscribe to the gCaptain on X for the latest updates. UPDATE: France has agreed to remain but under the condition
UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom for an update on the possible movement of US Flagged ships behind French naval convoy gCaptain has received reports that the
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