J. W. Westcott II
Encyclopedia
The J.W. Westcott II is a boat that serves to deliver mail
to other vessels, and also provides a pilot boat
service to ferry pilots to and from other vessels. The ship operates out of Detroit, Michigan
and is the only floating post office in the world, that delivers mail to other ships, as they are underway.
The Westcott company was established in 1874 by Captain J.W. Westcott, who ferried supplies (and by 1895 the mail) to passing ships via rowboat. By 1949 the company commissioned the Paasch Marine Service of Erie
, Pennsylvania
to build the J.W. Westcott II, named in honor of the Westcott companies founder. The ship is 45' in length and has a beam of 13'. A single screw is powered by a 305 HP marine diesel engine
. Her speed is rated at 15 knots.
Any mail
addressed to members of ships' crews
that pass through the Detroit River
can have mail delivered to them via The J.W. Westcott II, by addressing it "Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222." The U.S. postal zip code
48222 is exclusive to the floating post office and its ship addressees. The mail will be delivered to the appropriate ships (mainly lake freighter
s) as they pass under the Ambassador Bridge
. The postal station is located near the bridge on the U.S. side of the river.
On 23 October 2001, the J.W. Westcott II, sank in the deep water under the Ambassador Bridge
while caught in the wake of a much larger ship she was serving, the MT Sidsel Knutsen
. The captain and one other crew member were killed and two others were rescued. The ship was later salvaged, refurbished and put back into service.
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
to other vessels, and also provides a pilot boat
Pilot boat
A Pilot Boat is a type of boat used to transport pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.-History:The origins of the word pilot probably disseminates from the Latin word pilota, a variation of pedota, the plural of pēdón which translates as oar...
service to ferry pilots to and from other vessels. The ship operates out of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and is the only floating post office in the world, that delivers mail to other ships, as they are underway.
The Westcott company was established in 1874 by Captain J.W. Westcott, who ferried supplies (and by 1895 the mail) to passing ships via rowboat. By 1949 the company commissioned the Paasch Marine Service of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
to build the J.W. Westcott II, named in honor of the Westcott companies founder. The ship is 45' in length and has a beam of 13'. A single screw is powered by a 305 HP marine diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. Her speed is rated at 15 knots.
Any mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
addressed to members of ships' crews
Seafarers
Seafarers can refer to ethnic groups living by the sea in Southeast Asia, and also other sea-living ethnic groups in the world. The ethnic group name refers to a large distribution area, reaching from the islands of Indonesia to Burma...
that pass through the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
can have mail delivered to them via The J.W. Westcott II, by addressing it "Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222." The U.S. postal zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
48222 is exclusive to the floating post office and its ship addressees. The mail will be delivered to the appropriate ships (mainly lake freighter
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
s) as they pass under the Ambassador Bridge
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
. The postal station is located near the bridge on the U.S. side of the river.
On 23 October 2001, the J.W. Westcott II, sank in the deep water under the Ambassador Bridge
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
while caught in the wake of a much larger ship she was serving, the MT Sidsel Knutsen
MT Sidsel Knutsen
-Design:The Sidsel Knutsen is long and is owned and operated by Knutsen O.A.S. Shipping. The Sidsel Knutsen is designed for the shipping of oil products, including gasoline, plain crude oil, and biodiesel. The Sidsel Knutsen also has a sistership, the Turid Knutsen, which is also a tanker, and...
. The captain and one other crew member were killed and two others were rescued. The ship was later salvaged, refurbished and put back into service.