J. W. Westcott II is a boat known for its delivery of mail to ships while they are underway. It operates out of Detroit, Michigan, and is the only floating ZIP Code in the United States.[2]
 J.W. Westcott II approaching a Canadian freighter
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | J. W. Westcott II |
| Namesake | company founder |
| Owner | J. W. Westcott Company |
| Route | Detroit River, Great Lakes |
| Ordered | 1949 |
| Builder | Paasch Marine Service, Erie, Pennsylvania |
| Homeport | Detroit, Michigan |
| Identification | Official number: 258859 |
| Status | in service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Pilot and mail boat |
| Tonnage | 14 GT |
| Length | 45 ft (14 m)[1] |
| Beam | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Draft | 4 ft (1.2 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15 knots |
History
editThe Westcott company was established in 1874 by Captain John Ward Westcott, who ferried supplies (and by 1895 the mail) to passing ships via rowboat.[3]
Operation
edit
Any mail addressed to members of ships' crews on vessels transiting the Detroit River can be delivered to them via J. W. Westcott II by being addressed "Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222." The US postal zip code 48222 is exclusive to the floating post office and its ship addressees; as of 2016[update], the boat has a contract with the US Postal Service through 2021.[2] The mail is delivered to the appropriate ships (mainly lake freighters) as they transit the Detroit River, utilizing ropes and buckets.[2]
Sinking
editOn 23 October 2001, J. W. Westcott II sank in the deep water under the Ambassador Bridge while caught in the wake of Norwegian oil tanker MT Sidsel Knutsen. The captain and one other crew member were killed; the two passengers, both pilots, were rescued. J. W. Westcott II was later salvaged, refurbished and returned to service.[4][5]
See also
edit
- Boat railway post office – Over-water postal service in the US
- Mail jumping – Type of mail delivery
References
edit- ^ a b "Dimensions". Westcott Co. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Tyler (20 August 2016). "A Mail Boat Stays Afloat". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Hebert, Jim (31 March 1999). "J. W. Westcott Company". Westcott Co. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ "Two killed in sinking of mail boat J.W. Westcott II in Detroit River". Professional Mariner. February–March 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ Report of the Capsizing and Sinking of the M/V J. W. Westcott II in the Detroit River on October 23, 2001 With the Loss of Two Lives (PDF) (Report). United States Coast Guard. 7 October 2002. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
Further reading
editBergel, Colin (2000). Mail by the pail. Illustrated by Mark Koenig. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0814328903. OCLC 44313231.
External links
edit- J. W. Westcott Co. website*"Westcott Co. Home Page". Archived from the original on 17 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- "Images of J. W. Westcott II". Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.