[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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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

 

[Ian J. Huckin]

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

 

[Pop Alexandra]

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

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[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

 

[John Rogers]

POC also means Point Of Contact.