2. Disaster of the Motorship "Bolivar Maru"
Outline of the Case
This case involves the Motorship "Bolivar Maru"(gross tonnage of 33,768), which loaded at San Nicolas, Peru, 53,746 tons of iron ore in the No. 1, 3 and 5 cargo holds with no cargo in the No. 2 and 4 holds, and left the port on December 10, 1968 for Kawasaki, the port of Keihin. While the "Bolivar Maru" was sailing with her course set on WNW, she experienced winds out of the West through WNW registering a force 8 on the Beaufort scale on her port bow from the evening of January 4, 1969. The "Bolivar Maru" continued sailing at an average speed of 8.7 knots and around 10:30 hours on January 5, the following day, the hull suddenly fractured near the No. 2 hold and the bow section came off at a position SE of Nojima Saki, making her incapable of sailing by herself. While her crew members were making preparations to launch lifeboats after stopping the engine and issuing distress signals, she sank with the bow going down first at around 11:27 hours on the same day.
The "Takeshima Maru" which happened to be sailing in the vicinity rushed to the scene after receipt of the distress signal and rescued the drifting Second Engineer and a catering crew member. The Master of the "Bolivar Maru" and the other 30 crew members went missing.
The fact that a large-sized cargo ship could suffer a fracture of the hull and founder only three years and three months after she was built greatly surprised not only the shipping and shipbuilding communities but also the general public.
In this case, the Yokohama Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency delivered a judgement on November 28, 1972, but the counsellor for the examinee made an application for inquiry in the second instance, and the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency pronounced a judgement to dismiss the request for judgement in the second instance on the basis of a mistake on the part of the appellant in the interpretation of the Marine Accident Inquiry Law, thus making final the judgment delivered by the Yokohama Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency.
Summary of the Cause of the Disaster of the Motorship "Bolivar Maru", was pronounced by the Yokohama Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency on November 28, 1972.
(Ship's particulars)
Type and Name of ship: Motorship Bolivar Maru
Port of Registry: Tokyo
Shipowner: Japan Line, Ltd.
Gross Tonnage: 33,768 tons
Length: 223.00 m (overall)
Breadth: 31.70 m
Depth: 17.30 m
