![Michigan Has the Only Floating Post Office in the World](http://townsquare.media/site/691/files/2020/02/BoatNerd-youtube-61.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Michigan Has the Only Floating Post Office in the World
It’s the only one in the world, and Michigan has it!
Now, before any argument starts, this is an ACTUAL POST OFFICE. Not just some boat that delivers mail....there are PLENTY of those.
The J.W. Westcott II, is the world's only floating post office, delivering mail to boats & ships near the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit.
Capt. John W. Wescott formed the Westcott Company in 1874, beginning with ferrying supplies to passing & waiting ships in the Detroit River. In 1895, he began mail delivery.
When 1949 rolled around, the J.W. Westcott II boat was built, 45 feet long with a speed of 15 knots.
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A snafu occurred on October 23, 2001 when Westcott II was delivering mail. The crew was under the Ambassador Bridge when the Norwegian oil tanker “MT Sidsel Knutsen” went by. The Westcott got caught in the wake of the tanker and sank, killing the captain and a crew member. Some time later, the boat was raised from the bottom of the river, salvaged, renovated, and returned to its postal duties.
The boat even has its own personal zip code: 48222. The J.W. Westcott II has a contract with the U.S. postal service until 2021 and so far, it looks like there’s no sign of quitting.
…..and it’s the only floating post office in the world!
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