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 a well researched article titled Mercenary Guards Jump Ship as Somali Pirates Remain Undeterred Bloomberg exposes private security efforts to protect ships
The 2008 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to a Brazilian seafarer for his heroic actions in saving fellow crew members from an
One of the keys to becoming good at celestial navigation is knowing what you’re looking for. That is why learning the constellations is important. Todays
Last year Sid Martin, Director of Technology at Northeast Maritime Institute was faced with a dilemma. He had been hired to spearhead a project bringing the
Source: Maritime Information Center The International Chamber Of Commerce tells us: EUNAVFOR strongly recommends that merchant vessels conduct their passage
Last week we brought you information on marine license insurance and in our continuing quest to look at non-traditional protection available to mariners we
Photo by Crusair Eurodam News, a blog following the construction of the brand new Holland America Lines’ cruise ship M/V Eurodam, recently featured a
We recently ran across some interesting statistics from a 2005 joint study on manpower from BIMCO and the ISF. Q: How many officers are currently employed
The above photo of the Norwegian Gem was from our failed attempt at an Ugly Ship category on gCaptain. The idea was good but our regular readers didn’t
Earlier today gCaptain received reports from Australia that the M/V Athena was attacked by 29 pirate boats while transiting the Gulf Of Aden. This was the
OregonLive has accounts from a passenger of the M/V Nautica: Sunday’s attack on the nearly 600-foot long M/V Nautica — one of three ships operated
Floating drydock Mar Del Teide grounded at Playa de Barossa, Spain after being seperated from her tug. UPDATE: Our friends at IMC Blog have located video of
Currently all mariners are familiar with the large full mission ship simulators like the one pictured above. Some have even played with either purpose built or
We found this interesting YouTube video of ships battling heavy seas and rogue waves. These photos have been provided by SplashVision.com. Here at gCaptain.com
You pull into anchorage, plug your EVDO Card into your laptop and immediately begin to map out the stores you need to visit once the ship is docked. We
iCommandant, the “Web Journal of Admiral Thad Allen” has recently posted updates on the Coast Guard’s modernization initiatives. Admiral
Today is Thanskgiving here in the states and it’s custom to take the day to thank the people who have supported your personal voyage of discovery.
What is the solution to Somali Piracy? ( surveys) If your answer is other please explain in a comment below… ideas are
Pirate maps have long been the a source of intrigue but modern day treasure hunters more often use advance technology like remote operated vehicles and sonar
In light of the recent piracy news gCaptain has recieved a number of media requests to answer basic questions about piracy. Below you will find just a few of
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