The "Bolivar Maru" started her leg in ballast to San Nicolas on Voyage No. 26. After her departure from Tacoma, damage caused during cargo handling operations was found inside holds and repaired by engine crew members and the tank tops in cargo holds were cleaned by deck hands. She continued a calm voyage till arrival at San Nicolas on December 9. The iron ore as her cargo at the port was in almost the form of a ball called APPJ pellets with a diameter ranging from 1 to 2 cm, which does not pose any threat of displacement. The vessel loaded 11,604 LT in the No. 1 hold, 24,185 LT in the No. 3 and 17,111 LT in the No. 5, totaling 52,900 LT (53,746 KT), with the No. 2 and 4 holds being empty.
Thus, the "Bolivar Maru", manned by the Master and 32 other crew members, left San Nicolas for Kawasaki, Keihin Port, on December 10, the following day.
The vessel continued on a smooth voyage after departure, but since she entered, from around noon on January 3, 1969 (by ship's time; hereinafter the same), a zone under the influence of a high pressure system which stretched from the Asian Continent toward waters south of Japan via the Nansei Islands, she began to sail in seasonal winds with a force of 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale. As a result, the vessel notified the head office of Japan Line by telegram, saying, "ETA Kawasaki 5th morning", followed by "ETA 5th 15:00 hours", and further "ETA 6th noon, delay because of strong winds". From around the evening of 4th, she continued sailing against winds of force 8 out of the West through WNW on her port bow. While she was sailing at an average speed of 8.7 knots with pitching but nearly no rolls, she all of a sudden suffered a fracture near the No. 2 hold and fell inoperative at a position 33°00' N 144°36'E at about 10:30 hours on January 5, 1969.
The "Bolivar Maru" immediately stopped her engine and at the same time sent a distress message, saying, "Distress, distress, my ship's position 33°00'N 144°36'E, forecastle broke in two, forward portion sank and our ship inoperative; we are going to board lifeboats soon, request assistance. " She sent a similar message again at 10:36 hours and sent a telegram to the "Takeshima" Maru at 10:58 hours, saying, "The vessel fractured from No. 2 hatch Nos. 1 and 2 holds got inundated but still afloat. There is a fear of sinking, preparations have been made to abandon ship," and to the "Takeshima Maru" around 11:11 hours another telegram saying, "Notify the head office of Japan Line urgently that our vessel fractured from No. 2 hatch, Nos. 1 and 2 holds got inundated but still afloat. There is a fear of sinking, preparations have been made to abandon ship." In response, the Takeshima Maru sent a telegram saying, "We understand your request, we will notify your head office immediately." When she asked about the funnel color the "Bolivar Maru" replied, "It is red." After that the "Takeshima Maru" sent a message saying, "Since my vessel will proceed toward your lee side, please station your lifeboats in that direction," but no reply was obtained from the "Bolivar Maru".
Before the commencement of the series of developments described above, the Second Engineer, examinee, got up at 10:15 hours on the same day and he was reading a facsimile newspaper posted in the passage of the recreation room on the boat deck, when he heard the First Engineer shouting loudly around the bridge, "The bow fractured, look at that!" As he looked forward out of the porthole situated slightly on the port side of the front part of the recreation room, such structures as the foremast, windlasses, the aft bulkhead of the forecastle and ladders, which used to be seen, were not there and waves were coming up from the cross section of the forward part of the upper deck. Believing that the forward portion fell off, he returned to his room in a hurry and put on proper clothing, including a jacket, and went out of the room with a lifejacket in his hand, when he heard a voice saying, "Flooding ＿＿, report to abandon ship stations."
