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. The J.W. Westcott II, is owned and operated by the J.W. Westcott Company based in Detroit, Michigan.
The Westcott Company was established in 1874 by Captain John Ward Westcott, who ferried supplies (and by 1895 the mail) to passing ships via rowboat. By 1949, the company commissioned Paasch Marine Service of Erie, Pennsylvania to build J.W. Westcott II, named in honor of the Westcott company’s founder. The ship is 45 feet (14 m) in length and has a beam of 13 feet (4.0 m). A single screw is powered by a 305 horsepower (227 kW) marine diesel engine. The boat’s speed is rated at 15 knots.
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, the boat has a contract with the US Postal Service through 2021. The mail is delivered to the appropriate ships (mainly lake freighters) as they transit the Detroit River, utilizing ropes and buckets.
Since 1874, the J.W. Westcott Company has been serving the Port of Detroit, offering ship-to-shore service 24 hours a day, during the navigation season, April through December. They offer U.S. mail delivery Freight delivery, storage & forwarding Message service Water taxi service (to and from vessels) Pilot boat services for the Port of Detroit Grocery Delivery underway or Dock Side. The sale and delivery of snacks & cigarettes Marine Bookstore offers the U.S. and Canadian nautical charts,
U.S. Government Publications, maritime history books, manuals for the professional mariner, and postcards At J.W. Westcott, they’re proud of their fine heritage and look forward to serving you in the future.
According to en.wikipedia.org; funinmichigan.com. Source of photos: internet
