Floating Post Office

An interesting little trivia tidbit from a recent issue of Canadian Stamp News.

"Detroit is the only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while they are still underway. Owned by the J.S. Westcott Co. which has been delivering mail to vessels in the Detroit River since becoming an official U.S. Postal Mail Service mail boat in 1948. It even has it's own zip code, 48222."

Anyone have any mail from this zip code? Anyone prove the Canadian Stamp News wrong?

Well, here is another floating post office from Berlin.
Spreewald, 1991 to honor stamps.
Cannot find any other info. will keep looking.....

The news article is certainly correct. Checkout page 1 of this link (geared toward kids):

http://scope.oakland.k12.mi.us/docs...time%203.pdf

Or this web site of the JW Westcott Co.:

http://www.jwwestcott.com/

Do I have a piece of mail with their postmark and ZIP Code? No. But I don't suppose there's any reason why someone could simply send a few covers to them, as I'm sure they would accommodate requests for their postmark, if desired.

In any event, it is an interesting piece of US postal history.

Fifia, that West German stamp is very nice

James: if memory serves me the PBS (Detroit) did a documentary on the mail boat and the family that operates it.

Thanks everybody....

My mailboat does not count?

fifia I believe your mailboat is a mail delivery boat but not a boat that is a post office.

Ships float, right? So, it seems to me there are an unknown number of floating post offices due to the fact that they are on ships around the world. So why is the J.W. Westcott II considered to be the only floating post office in the world? Is it because it is the only boat, or ship, with its own postal code? Just asking.

...but quigngt, don't you think this nice postal employee would take this lady's mail, lick the stamps and mail it for her? I am sure
she has a zipcode, a German one 03142.

but you are probably right...

...and he has a cancellation device in his pouch and will cancel the stamp, then deliver the letter to the lady across the river.

....and in the darkness of the workplace the moon started shining
and the lady from across the river gave him a kiss to show her appreciation



and the sky opened and Herr Klimt started to paint and that is how this beautiful stamp came about.



Ein Bier, bitte.

I hope this doesn't disappear with the USPS cutbacks. A lot of little offices such as this are being consolidated with larger ones. I can hardly believe they even got their own zip code!

Karen

Sorry, Jamesw, I got carried away.



The Postverk Føroya since 2009. It is one of the smallest post offices in the world. This is a boat they use....

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/...8Activity&a=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postgeschichte_und_Briefmarken_der_F%25C3%25A4r%25C3%25B6er
The link changes to English...

Maybe this qualifies as an answer for your question.

Back to the JW Westcott, here is a link to the US Postal Service's "Postal Facts" page. About halfway down the second section entitled "Just the Fun Facts", the JW Westcott is mentioned:

http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/po...come.htm#H11

What is happening? That is it?

Here you go jamesw,

From the "Windsor Y Stamp Club" comes this Wypex Philetic Exhibition Cover. It took a trip across the Detroit River on the J.W. Westcott II and received its cancel at the "Detroit River Mail Boat Post Office".