Borinquen, designed by Theodore E. Ferris, was laid down at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts 20 January 1930, launched 24 September 1930 and completed in 1931 with delivery 20 February 1931.

[5] Borinquen was similar in characteristics and design to the line's earlier ship, SS Coamo (1925) with the Lloyd's Register, 1930–31[8] showing the ship as ordered for the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company with an original date of 1930, both stricken, with a new date 1931 and "Coamo S.S. Corp" with New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company as manager.

[5][8][Note 1] The ship was propelled by single, impulse-reaction type, reduction geared turbines furnished with steam by oil fired tube boilers for about 6,500 horsepower.

In June she began a voyage from Cape Town to Aden and Suez before returning to West African operations.

With the advent of affordable air travel, the market for hauling immigrants quickly disappeared and the Arosa Line went bankrupt.

In an ironic twist of fate, this accident led to changes to the maritime regulations pertaining to such ships at the Geneva Convention of 1964, outlawing the operation of passenger vessels with wooden super-structures.

The cost of complying with the new regulations proved too expensive, so the ship was sold to the Western Steamship Company.

By 1970, she was anchored outside the harbor to avoid expensive docking fees while efforts were made to find a buyer.

Only 23 minutes later, she struck the sandy beach west of the Port Hueneme breakwater, her stern just missing the rocks.

The crew stayed aboard, attempting to pump her dry so she could be righted, but the seas were pouring in from many smashed portholes and windows making their efforts fruitless.

Surfers paddled out to the stricken ship to wander among passageways canted at impossible angles, reminiscent of the film, Poseidon Adventure.

A United States Navy team cut the top off the ship and brought in rocks to fill in the carcass.