J. W. Westcott II

J.W. Westcott II approaching a Canadian freighter
History
United States
NameJ. W. Westcott II
Namesakecompany founder
OwnerJ. W. Westcott Company
RouteDetroit River, Great Lakes
Ordered1949
BuilderPaasch Marine Service, Erie, Pennsylvania
HomeportDetroit, Michigan
IdentificationOfficial number: 258859
Statusin service
General characteristics
Class and typePilot and mail boat
Tonnage14 GT
Length45 ft (14 m)[1]
Beam13 ft (4.0 m)
Draft4 ft (1.2 m)
Propulsion
Speed15 knots

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]

History

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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.[3]

Operation

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J. W. Westcott II moored near its post office

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.[2] The mail is delivered to the appropriate ships (mainly lake freighters) as they transit the Detroit River, utilizing ropes and buckets.[2]

Sinking

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On 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

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Dimensions". Westcott Co. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Kelly, Tyler (20 August 2016). "A Mail Boat Stays Afloat". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  3. ^ 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]
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ 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

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Bergel, Colin (2000). Mail by the pail. Illustrated by Mark Koenig. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0814328903. OCLC 44313231.

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