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.


Thursday, November 15, 2007
Chinese Sub and the Carrier Group
Navy

Chinese Sub and the Carrier Group

While we have been preoccupied with the Bay Bridge Allision readers of our Maritime News Discoverer know of this troubling news from the pacific; When the U.S.

November 15, 2007
Total Views: 179

Oil Spill

Cosco Busan and San Francisco Oil Spill Photo Slideshow

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Above are images of the Cosco Busan and San Francisco Bay Oil Spill Clean-up courtesy of Flickr photographers in the

November 15, 2007
Total Views: 50

Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Uncategorized

Kappsized Clarification

Kappsized Clarification?! By James MacGuire In my last article Kappsized or Scuttled?!, I forwarded a client question which was, “Do I HAVE to file these

November 14, 2007
Total Views: 39

ncm credentialing state
USCG

Where is my license? NMC / REC Delay Chart

For those mariners awaiting license review at the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center ( USCG NMC ) here’s a breakdown of the status of all

November 14, 2007
Total Views: 64

maritime industry search engine cse
gCaptain

Shipping References – Cosco Busan Research Links

For those curious how the editors at gCaptain research maritime incidents like the Cosco Busan’s allision with San Francisco’s Bay Bridge, here are

November 14, 2007
Total Views: 64

Oil Spill

Cosco Busan Audio Files – San Francisco Oil Spill

Coast Guard Photo By CWO Scott Epeprson I thought I would list a few podcasts, interviews and audio files that relate to the Cosco Busan Incident and the

November 14, 2007
Total Views: 52

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Oil Spill

San Francisco Pilot’s Report Published

The San Francisco Chronicle has published the Pilot’s Report on the Cosco Busan Incident. Here are the parts of interest to mariners; Meadows said

November 13, 2007
Total Views: 38

Monday, November 12, 2007
Razzle Dazzle Ship Paintings
Photo

Razzle Dazzle Ship Paintings

Our friend Richard Rodriguez pointed us to these paintings as seen on the Dark Roasted Blend blog. We have covered this story recently so if you are asking

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 164

oil taker
Engines

Ship Types 101 – San Francisco Bay Bridge Oil Tanker Collision

I have been amazed lately by the number of errors in both media reports and political commentary related to the the container ship Cosco Busan that allided

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 83

Map of Effected Beaches – San Francisco / Cosco Busan Oil Spill
Uncategorized

Map of Effected Beaches – San Francisco / Cosco Busan Oil Spill

Click for Full Resolution Version If you’re looking for interactive google maps CLICK

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 46

NOAA-Ice-Ship-Rainier
Marine Weather

NOAA Celebrates 200 Years of Science

NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Boulder campus will celebrate and commemorate the agency’s 200-year legacy in science with

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 45

cosco busan damage
Oil Spill

Cosco Busan – Questions For Investigators

Chronicle photo by Michael Macor After visits from California powerbrokers Arnold Schwarzenegger and Diane Feinstein yesterday the head of the US Coast Guard,

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 86

russian oil spill
Incidents

5 Ships Sink in Russia – Death and Environmental Catastrophe

Breaking weather news from Russia. Bloomberg tells us; An oil spill from a tanker that sank in a storm in waters between Russia and Ukraine threatens an

November 12, 2007
Total Views: 46

Sunday, November 11, 2007
Incidents

Bridge Resource Management – A New Focus On Watchkeeping

First a note… I am publishing this short clip ahead of my next article because of its importance! While preparing our upcoming “questions for

November 11, 2007
Total Views: 2650

cosco busan track
Incidents

Follow the path of the Cosco Busan

UPDATE: BoatingSF has a new animation that can be found here: COSCO BUSAN’S TRACK – UPDATED _________________ Our friend John of VesselTrax.com

November 11, 2007
Total Views: 194

USCG

Veterans Day Comment

I just wanted to share this comment from our reader Martin Tregoning MNI: As a former UK SAR Mission Controller who also attended Governors Island, I can

November 11, 2007
Total Views: 31

Video

Merchant Marine Blues – Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3G_kLxZ8FM For our veterans some light fair for this fine Sunday… Ramblin’ Jack Elliott singing Woodie

November 11, 2007
Total Views: 33

Saturday, November 10, 2007
drilling rig anchors
Uncategorized

Maritime News of the Week – gCaptain’s Top Picks

Here are gCaptain editor’s Top 10 upcoming picks of the week from gCaptain’s Maritime News Discoverer. Please Vote on the ones you like to have

November 10, 2007
Total Views: 28

Oil Spill

San Francisco Bay Bridge Damage Survey – Video

Official USCG damage survey video of the Bay Bridge after the Cosco Busan allision earlier this week. Thanks to Marine Buzz for the find. Click here for our

November 10, 2007
Total Views: 41

Friday, November 9, 2007
container incident
Blog

Incident Photo of the Week

The M/V Duncan Island. Details and photos can be found HERE and a translation

November 9, 2007
Total Views: 44