Naval Covers
In 1908, Congress authorized post offices aboard ships and stations of the U.S. Navy. These ships and stations have postmarks and offer the same services as do post offices in cities and towns across the land. Many people fmd the collecting of naval postmarks and covers, both U.S. and foreign, a fascinating hobby.

USCS members have a wide range of collecting interests. Some collect each of the postmarks listed in the Catalog of U.S. Naval Postmarks while others specialize in the postmarks of a particular ship , a class of ship, various ship types. Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Naval Air, merchant or foreign ships. Still others collect event cancels of keel layings, launchings, commissionings, port visits, holidays, polar and space recovery events, to mention but a few of the more popular specialties. Finally, collecting cacheted naval covers is becoming as popular today as it was forty years ago, particularly since many ships do not now have post offices. You can build your collection of naval covers from ships that have been decommissioned only by purchase or trade. However, covers from ships in commission can be obtained simply for the cost of the envelope, postage and a little time.

Preparing Covers for Service
First, select a good quality envelope, 6 3/4" size (actual measurement is 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" of 24 pound white wove or rag bond paper. This is the standard type and size for cover collecting. Insert a filler card of lightweight card stock or heavy paper in the envelope to secure a better postal cancellation and tuck in the flap to protect the envelope from damage in handling or processing. Place your name and address in the lower right hand comer, handwritten, typed, rubber- stamped or on an address label, as is required by postal regulations. Add a stamp or stamps for first class postage in the upper right hand comer with a 1/4" margin for the best cancellation.

If the ship has a post office, address the outer envelope to the correct Fleet Post Office (FPO) as follows:

Navy Postal Clerk
USS Ship Name (Hull designation & number)
FPO(the USCS publishes a list or obtain from the ship web page; an example is FPO AA 34095-2800)

In the past, mail for Navy ships was sent in care of the FPO at New York, Miami, San Francisco or Seattle. However, in July 1992, the USPS standardized the format for FPO/APO mailing addresses as noted above. This particular format is comparable to that of civilian addressed mail (with FPO corresponding to the city and AA, AE or AP corresponding to the state abbreviation). Updated zip code addresses for ships are provided annually or oftener in the USCS Log.

If the ship has no post office on board, the same instructions apply, except that the outer envelope should be addressed to the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) instead of to the Postal Clerk.

If you are sending to a shore station, address your outer envelope to the PAO, Name of the Station, City and Zip code.

Construction Events
If you want to service your own covers for a keel laying, launching or commissioning event, address your request to the Public Relations Director or Supervisor of Shipbuilding at private shipyards, or to the PAO at government shipyards or naval stations. Send your request sufficiently in advance of the published date of the event so that your cover can be processed routinely with all other such requests. If the event is delayed, the PRD/PAO will hold your covers to the correct date. A current list of shipyards may be obtained from the Data Sheet Coordinator.

You may also write directly to the branch post office at the shipyard or naval station for cover service. Address your letter to the Superintendent, Naval Base (Shipyard) Branch, City and Zip code indicating in your letter the date of service and the type of cancel desired. In case the event is delayed, the branch PO will ordinarily not hold your mail, so you will probably have to make a second mailing.

Covers Not Returned
Most ships and stations will service your two covers on the day requested, if received in time, or within a reasonable time of receipt depending on the ships operations. If you have not received your covers after an appropriate wait, try again. However, in no case of non-receipt or poor service should a complaint be made; the PAO and mail clerks are not required to service philatelic mail, but the vast majority do so cheerfully as their time permits. Additionally, the covers may have been lost somewhere in the mail stream.

Cover Service
You may wish to send covers to a collector who services covers for a nominal fee per cover. The servicer will deliver or forward your covers to ships or stations for those events which he has advertised or agreed to handle for his customers. In this case, your covers must be stuffed, stamped and addressed just as though you were sending the covers directly.
You can also purchase fully serviced and cacheted covers from cover sponsors for selected events, normally keel laying, launching, sea trial, first day of postal service, commissioning and anniversary events. Information on activities of naval cover sponsors is found in philatelic publications, stamp columns and especially the USCS Log and other USCS members.

Good hunting.
One exciting yet at times frustrating aspect of preparing and sending for Naval Covers is the variability of the time to return and the quality of the returned cancel, this was previously discussed on page 3. This is much like fishing, you never know what size of fish you are going to catch or what type.

Covers occasionally come back with additional Postal Markings applied after the cover leaves the ship. In many cases the markings come from the Post Office that first receives the mail from the ship. It happens and is a part of the hobby. Sometimes the US Navy ship you send covers to is "On Deployment" and is protecting the interest of the United States. When this happens the sailors who are also the Postal Clerks may have too much to do to handle mail or the ship is just not receiving mail. Your cover may be delayed up to 6 months. Sadly, some covers never do make it back home, they are somewhere in Davey Jones' locker.

Have fun with Covers, the uncertainty adds to the excitement and enjoyment!