Greg's Corner

Sometimes the old school ways are still the best

The J.W. Westcott II

There are a number of us who get impatient when our online purchases aren’t delivered within 24 hours. Then there’s the few of us who are looking forward to the day when drones make all our deliveries. Then there are some of us who sigh at our phones in disgust when our Uber or Lyft rides don’t show up right away. Now imagine being stuck on a freighter ship for weeks or months out on the Great Lakes, then what do you do? That’s where the J. W. Westcott Company of Detroit comes in.

The company has a vessel, named the J.W. Westcott II, that has been commissioned by the US Postal Service to deliver mail to crew members abroad these freighters. The company even has its own zip code of 48222. It also makes its money by delivering supplies to ships as well. Speaking of money the vessel collects some its fees through a bucket that the vessels lower down to collect their mail or supplies. The Wescott also can deliver crew members to ships already out on the water, so in that instance it’s sometimes the Uber of the Great Lakes.

So while you’re waiting for Instacart to deliver your latest request from Whole Foods, keep these people in mind who are out on ships waiting days just for a handful of coffee pods.