BIMCO’s HEAVYLIFTVOY subcommittee continues its work to modernise the HEAVYLIFTVOY standard form and it accompanying bill of lading HEAVYCONBILL 2016, reflecting current industry practices and commercial realities in the heavy lift sector. Following a series of online meetings, the project reached an important milestone with the subcommittee’s first in‑person meeting in London, kindly hosted by Adams and Moore Law Firm and followed by a second in‑person meeting hosted in Hamburg in February 2026, kindly hosted by United Heavy Lift. These meetings have laid the groundwork for the next phase of the project: an industry‑wide consultation on the draft revised form.
First in‑person discussions in London
The subcommittee’s first in‑person meeting took place in London in September 2025, bringing together a broad cross‑section of owners, charterers, brokers, insurers and legal advisers. Meeting face‑to‑face allowed the drafting team to progress discussions that had previously taken place online and to address complex drafting issues in a collaborative setting.
At the London meeting, the subcommittee focused on working clause by clause through key parts of the contract. Particular attention was given to ensuring that the wording remained practical, commercially balanced and faithful to the original purpose and structure of HEAVYLIFTVOY, while also responding to developments in the heavy lift market and operational practice.
The London discussions confirmed the subcommittee’s shared objective: to modernise the contract without fundamentally altering its risk allocation or usability as an industry standard.
Continued progress at the Hamburg meeting
Building on the momentum from London, the subcommittee met again in person in Hamburg in February 2026. Hosted at United Heavy Lift’s offices, the Hamburg meeting allowed the group to continue drafting work where the London discussions had left off, refining agreed amendments and addressing remaining open points.
During the Hamburg sessions, the subcommittee revisited several clauses to ensure internal consistency, clarity and alignment with the explanatory notes. Discussions covered, among other matters, canal transits, routeing issues and adjustments to terminology where the original wording no longer reflected current operational realities. The collaborative, in‑person format once again proved valuable in resolving drafting nuances and reaching consensus.
By the conclusion of the Hamburg meeting, the subcommittee had reached a more consolidated draft of the revised HEAVYLIFTVOY form, putting the project in a strong position to move beyond internal drafting and into broader market engagement.
Launching the industry consultation
With substantial progress achieved through the in‑person meetings in London and Hamburg, BIMCO is now launching an industry consultation on the revised HEAVYLIFTVOY draft. The consultation phase is a key part of BIMCO’s contract development process and invites input from a wider range of stakeholders across the heavy lift sector, including owners, charterers, brokers, insurers and legal practitioners.
The purpose of the consultation is to test the draft against real‑world commercial and operational experience, ensuring that the revised form is workable, balanced and fit for purpose in today’s heavy lift trade. Feedback received during the consultation will be carefully reviewed by the subcommittee and used to further refine the draft before it is presented for consideration at BIMCO committee level.
How to take part
The industry consultation has now been launched and will remain open until 12 May 2026. If you want to be part of the Sounding Board, send an email to contracts@bimco.org . Please include your name, organisation and role.
Next steps
Following the consultation process, the BIMCO subcommittee in charge of the project will consider the feedback received and finalise the draft for adoption and publication.
