Crimson Polaris (2021) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident Type: Grounded
Severity: High
Investigation body: Japan Transport Safety Board

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Crimson Polaris
Vessel Type	Other (wood-chip carrier)
Flag State	Panama [PA]
IMO Number	9370783
Gross Tonnage	39910
LOA (m)	199.9
Breadth (m)	32.2
Owner	MI-DAS Line S.A.
Manager	Misuga Kaiun Co., Ltd.
Charterer	NYK Line
Crew	21

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2021-08-11
Location	off Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Region	Japan
Fatalities	0
Injuries	0
Missing	0
Direct Damage	The hull split into two sections after grounding; oil spilled from the vessel's fuel tanks.
Economic Damage

Key facts

Crimson Polaris was swept away by strong wind while anchored and grounded off Hachinohe at about 07:35 JST on 11 August 2021.
The hull split into two at about 04:15 JST on 12 August, and oil spilled from the vessel's fuel tanks.
All 21 crew members were evacuated before the hull split and were confirmed safe.
The vessel was owned by MI-DAS Line S.A., managed by Misuga Kaiun Co., Ltd., and chartered by NYK Line.
The Japan Transport Safety Board lists the occurrence as under investigation and records no fatalities or injuries.

Narrative

Crimson Polaris, a Panama-flagged wood-chip carrier, was anchored off Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture when strong wind swept the vessel away from its anchorage on 11 August 2021. NYK reported that the vessel grounded at about 07:35 JST. The ship carried 21 crew members, all of whom were evacuated safely before the structural failure that followed.

At about 04:15 JST on 12 August, the hull split into two sections. NYK reported that the split caused oil to spill from the fuel tanks and that the quantity of oil released had not yet been identified. Misuga Kaiun reported that the Japan Coast Guard was handling the site and that the shipowner, manager, charterer, and relevant authorities were coordinating the response. Later NYK reporting described continued work to limit the environmental damage and support shoreline clean-up.

The Japan Transport Safety Board records the occurrence as a grounding after the vessel dragged anchor, followed by hull cracking and separation. Its public case page states that the investigation remained in progress, with a draft report under deliberation. The available official material establishes the weather-related anchorage loss, grounding, structural breakup, oil spill, and safe evacuation, but does not provide final findings on the precise cause or a final damage valuation.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2021-08-11 07:35 JST	Crimson Polaris was swept away from anchorage by strong wind and grounded off Hachinohe.
2021-08-11	The crew was evacuated from the vessel and confirmed safe.
2021-08-12 04:15 JST	The hull split into two sections and oil spilled from the fuel tanks.
2021-08-12 onward	The Japan Coast Guard and response organizations worked to control the spill and manage the separated hull.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Strong wind while anchored	Reported	NYK and Misuga Kaiun reported that strong wind swept the vessel from its anchorage.
Dragging anchor and grounding	Confirmed finding	The Japan Transport Safety Board describes the vessel as grounding after dragging anchor.
Precise causal sequence	Suspected	The public JTSB case page states that the investigation remained in progress; the available evidence does not establish a final causal finding.

Investigation

The Japan Transport Safety Board opened an investigation into the Crimson Polaris grounding. Its public case page records the occurrence, states that the vessel grounded after dragging anchor and later separated, and indicates that a draft report remained under deliberation. No final investigation findings have been identified in the available public material.

References

Video

Crimson Polaris splits after grounding