# What does "POC" mean in relation to a ships cargo?



## clydesiderman

Looking at a list of ships cargoes, there is sometimes the abbreviation "POC" Any suggestions for what it means? Thanks Douglas.


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## K urgess

Port of consignment?


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## melliget

For extra heavy cargo could it be "Position On Centre"? Just a very wild guess. I think port of consignment sounds pretty good.


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## non descript

Douglas, that's a fair question and whilst I loath abbreviations, because they can frankly be made to fit anything one wants - there is a case for suggesting that POC, in connection with a ship's cargo, could be *Port Of Call*.


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## Keith Adams

Was in breakbulk cargo all my working life and never saw that one ... you didn't mention the period ... are the cargo plans pre-container? Just for the heck of it I looked back in time and the only term I came up with in print was:-
"Press Of Canvas" meaning "All sail set and sails drawing" ... nothing to do with cargo and of course abbreviations were not commonly used much;unlike today!


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## John Rogers

POC also means Point of Contact.
John


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## mclean

POC is PORT OF CALL. Colin


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## K urgess

According to the 8th edition of "Shipping Practice" by E. F. Stevens, both Tonga & Colin are correct.
Page 139 definitions and abbreviations -
*p.o.c.* Port of call.


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## clydesiderman

*Meaning of "POC" ?*

Thank you all for the replies. Keith made a very salient point on giving more details, and I give them here :
Glasgow Port books for 1957 give details of vessels arriving at Glasgow. In July 1957 a small selection of entries show
Ship --------------From-----------------Cargo inwards
City of Perth----------Mombasa and Belfast--General
Rhodesia Star---------Sydney and London--- Grain and general
Pacific Unity----------Manchester------------POC
Pyrrhus---------------Colombo and Liverpool--General
Baron Elibank---------Lisbon------------------Ore and general
City of Stafford-------Swansea---------------POC
Norfolk---------------Auckland and London----General
Lanarkshire-----------Capetown and Belfast---General 
Sussex---------------Newport----------------POC
Laurentia-------------Montreal---------------General

These are just a flavour of the many entries, so any further thoughts on POC ?
Douglas.


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## Fergus 62

No idea what POC means in this context but do note that it is only marked against ships listed on coastal passages if that gives anyone a clue.

Fergus


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## K urgess

Could be something like "Parcel Of Cargo" or "Part Offload Cargo".
One of the vessels with POC against it's name is a cargo vessel and the other two are refrigerated.


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## captkenn

clydesiderman said:


> These are just a flavour of the many entries, so any further thoughts on POC ?Douglas.


P.L.: Public liability P/L .: Partial lost P.L.A.: Port of Londan Authority PLTS : Pallets Pm.: Premium P.M.L.: Probably maximum lost P/N.P.N.: Promissory note PNI : See P&I Pob: Pilot on board *P.o.c.: Port of Call *P.O.D.: Pay on delivery,Port of distress POR: Port of Refuge

Maritime Law, Chartering, Shipping Lines, Cargo Handling, Marine ...
Reference: Shipping, Insurance And Commercial Abbrevations (from Melody Shipping Agency Trading Co Ltd) (ID: 27201)


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## joebuckham

clydesiderman said:


> Looking at a list of ships cargoes, there is sometimes the abbreviation "POC" Any suggestions for what it means? Thanks Douglas.


hope this helps


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## mclean

If I recall correctly, the term Port of Call is/was used in the case of a vessel calling at a port which was not her final destination/discharge port. Would that make sense?? Colin


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## Trader

mclean said:


> If I recall correctly, the term Port of Call is/was used in the case of a vessel calling at a port which was not her final destination/discharge port. Would that make sense?? Colin


Yes.

Trader


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## joebuckham

thanks marconi sahib got in a bit of a twist


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## K urgess

You're welcome, Joe.
All part of the service. (K)


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## mclean

Trader said:


> Yes.
> 
> Trader


Port of call it is then. Colin


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## clydesiderman

*Meaning of POC*

OK guys, I'll go with "Port of Call." Thanks to everyone, it's amazing and gratifying that you all take the time and effort to solve the queries. Thanks again, Douglas.


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## Pop Alexandra

Would you recommend Port of Call after your experience?
_________________________
Alexandra from Cargolution


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## Stephen J. Card

POC is an abbreviation for:

'Port Of Call For Orders' 

If a discharge port is not designated on a Charter Party a chartered ship shall, after loading, proceed to some named port "for orders".

The list of ships above might say eg Pacific Unity--Manchester--POC would mean "Pacific Unity proceed to a designated later in Manchester area", the Master might even have an answer in a telegram "LEFO". In this case "LANDS END FOR ORDERS". I was up for an interview and the owner asked about abbreviations. Most I guessed but 'LEFO' stumped me. When he asked me what I would do I simply went back and said I would send a message back and ask. 35 years later I can still remember... LANDS END FOR ORDERS!!!!

Stephen


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## John Dryden

How times change,bet there aren't many cargo ships sailing today see that.
I think it was like that that in Bank line,outside of the liner services.Always imagined the office contacting the other offices or agents world wide to fill up those empty holds with anything going.I do believe those office folk served us well though back then.


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## MikeK

Sounds like something that would apply to my first ship - A Cardiff Tramp - which regularly set sail out into the wide blue yonder in the vague direction of some Continent or other, when no charter was yet finalised so POC is all that can be written. Eventually Sparks would get the message from the Office of where specifically to head for.

Mike


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## Erimus

We never used any of the abbreviations in dispatching our ore carriers, it was usually Hampton Roads for orders, even if they were heading across the North Sea!

geoff


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## Ian J. Huckin

I've sailed on ships where the main engine was a POC, but I guess that's different...


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## Pop Alexandra

Ian J. Huckin said:


> I've sailed on ships where the main engine was a POC, but I guess that's different...


Me too, but I guess point of call is the right answer in this scenario.
_____________________________________
Alexandra from Cargolution Transport


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## YM-Mundrabilla

Sorry if this confuses the issue but ..............(Jester)

I don't know about the maritime industry but here in OZ 'POC' stood for 'Produce of (the) Commonwealth'. 

Under this arrangement some more or less identical goods were treated to more favourable freight rates and perhaps lower Customs Duties (?) than products produced 'outside' the (British?) Commonwealth.

I am now unsure now whether 'Commonwealth' meant the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Australia. It was over 50 years ago and long before the era of the TEUs.

I must see if I can find an old Railway Goods Rates Book amongst the rubble sometime.

Geoff (YM)(Wave)

Couple of others that I remember in rail were:

EOHP = 'Except as otherwise herein provided '.
NOS = 'Not otherwise specified'.

Never understood the difference.


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## 8575

My favourite was:

IOBTBD -If on board, to be delivered. Believed to have been used on a Ben Boat's Mate's Receipt when a 70 ton Centurion tank was 'mislaid' - it was under a huge pile of dunnage apparently!


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## spongebob

Around the Auckland docks AHB stood for Auckland Harbour board who emblazoned their property with these initials 
A neighbourhood bloke I knew who used to work for this organisation had a good range of tools to borrow . His name was Alfred Harold Brown and I often felt like an accessory to the fact when I borrowed his little one ton chain block .

Bob


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## John Rogers

POC also means Point Of Contact.


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