The Chauncy Maples or MV Chauncy Maples, launched in 1901, is a steamboat and is regarded as the oldest ship in Africa. After more than one hundred years service on Lake Nyasa (now Lake Malawi), she will be restored for use as a floating medical clinic to support the several million lakeshore dwellers whose average life expectancy is normally just 44 years. In 2009 support for this was offered by the government of Malawi and will depend on the results of fund raising.