Explanatory Notes
BIMCO members have access to the supporting explanatory notes.
VOLCOA is the forerunner to GENCOA.
In 1982, BIMCO published its first standard contract of affreightment for dry bulk cargoes and codenamed it VOLCOA. It is the forerunner to GENCOA, which was issued in 2004. A contract of affreightment is an agreement between an owner and a charterer for the carriage of a certain amount and type of goods between agreed ports over a given period of time. It is not limited to a particular ship, but operates as a series of voyage charter parties.