List of oldest surviving ships

This is a list of the oldest ships in the world which have survived to this day without significantly losing their original form. It includes warships, yachts, tall ships, and vessels recovered during archaeological excavations. It does not include reconstructions or replicas, partially complete wreckage, or ships which have been located but remain underwater. For example, the Mary Rose, whose remains consist only of a partial hull, is not included here. Vessels listed are sorted by date of launching as most accurately known.

Oldest ships

NamesImageYear of constructionTypeCountry/area of originCurrent locationLOADisplacement (tons)Notes
Pesse canoe8040 BC[1]CanoeNetherlands, EuropeAssen, Netherlands9.75 ft (2.97 m)Believed to be the oldest boat in existence
Dufuna canoe8500 BP (6550 BC)[2]CanoeNigeria, AfricaYobe State, Nigeria28 ft (8.5 m)Oldest boat discovered in Africa, second oldest boat worldwide
Khufu ship2500 BCRitual bargeEgyptGiza, Egypt142 ft (43 m)Oldest known intact ship[3]
Dover Bronze Age boat1500 BCSeagoing boatUnited KingdomDover, United Kingdom31 ft (9.4 m)Oldest known seagoing vessel[4]
Ma'agan Michael ship400-500 BCTrade shipIsraelMa'agan Michael37 ft (11 m)25
Kyrenia ship
400-300 BCTrade shipCyprusKyrenia47 ft (14 m)
Hjortspring boat400-300 BC[5]DenmarkNational Museum of Denmark18 mOldest known clinker built vessel
Nydam Boat320-310 BCDenmarkGottorf Castle, Germany23 m
Sea of Galilee Boat50 BC - 70 ADFishing boatIsraelSea of Galilee27 ft (8.2 m)
Arles Rhône 31st centuryRiver trading vesselAncient RomeArles, France31 m (102 ft)
Salme ships700-750Viking shipEstoniaTallinn, Estonia Legendarily tied to King Ingvar of Sweden.
Oseberg ship820[6]Viking shipVestfoldOslo, Norway71 ft (22 m)
Gokstad ship900[7]Viking shipVestfoldOslo, Norway76 ft (23 m)Uncovered by digging in 1880
Skuldelev 21042Viking shipDublinRoskilde, Denmark98 ft (30 m)Second largest Viking ship discovered.
Bremen cog1380[8]Trading cogGermanyBremerhaven, Germany79 ft (24 m)130
Vasa1627[9]Sailing warshipSwedenStockholm, Sweden226 ft (69 m)1330Sank 1628; salvaged 1961
HMS VictoryMay 7, 1765[10]1st Rate ship-of-the-lineUnited KingdomPortsmouth, England228 ft (69 m)3500Oldest commissioned naval vessel
USS Philadelphia1776[11]Sailing warshipUnited StatesWashington, D.C.53 ft (16 m)32Sank 1776; salvaged 1935
Peggy1789[12]Private yachtIsle of ManCastletown, Isle of Man27 ft (8.2 m)Oldest surviving Manx ship; also the oldest surviving schooner
USS Constitution1797[13]Sailing warshipUnited StatesBoston, Massachusetts203.3 ft (62.0 m)2200Oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat
Tilikumafter 1800[14]Dugout canoeCanadaVictoria, British Columbia38 ft (12 m)
HMS Trincomalee1817[15]Sailing frigateIndiaHartlepool, England150.45 ft (45.86 m)
HMS Unicorn1824[16]Sailing frigateUnited KingdomDundee, Scotland151.9 ft (46.3 m)
Charles W. Morgan1841[17]WhalerUnited StatesMystic, Connecticut113 ft (34 m)Oldest surviving merchant ship; also the only surviving wooden whaling ship
Dom Fernando II e Glória1843[18]FrigatePortuguese IndiaAlmada, Portugal284 ft (87 m)1800Last sailing frigate of the Portuguese Navy
SS Great Britain1843[19]Ocean linerUnited KingdomBristol, England322 ft (98 m)3700First iron-hulled steamship to cross the Atlantic
Brandtaucher1850[20]SubmarineGermanyDresden, Germany27 ft (8.2 m)Location of first recorded submarine escape
Edwin Fox1853[21]Merchant ShipIndiaPicton, New Zealand157 ft (48 m)830Only remaining Australian convict ship
USS Constellation1854[22]Sailing warshipUnited StatesBaltimore, Maryland199 ft (61 m)1570Reconstructed in 1854 using materials from USS Constellation (1797)
Skibladner1856[23]paddle steamerNorwayGjøvik, Norway164 ft (50 m)
Jylland1860[24]FrigateDenmarkEbeltoft, Denmark233 ft (71 m)
HMS Warrior1860[25]IroncladUnited KingdomPortsmouth, England420 ft (130 m)10,100First armour-plated, iron-hulled warship
BAP Puno1861Hospital shipUnited KingdomLake Titicaca, Perú100 ft (30 m)Laid down as river gunboat Yapura, converted into hospital ship late 1970s.
CSS H. L. Hunley1863[26]SubmarineConfederate States of AmericaCharleston, South Carolina40 ft (12 m)8First submarine to sink an enemy warship
Star of India1863[27]WindjammerIsle of ManSan Diego, California278 ft (85 m)Oldest ship in regular use
City of Adelaide1864[28]ClipperUnited KingdomAdelaide, South Australia244 ft (74 m)800Oldest surviving clipper ship
Al Mahroussa1865[29]Motor YachtUnited KingdomAlexandria, Egypt478 ft (146 m)3762Royal Yacht built for Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt. Renamed El Horriya for some time, it was renamed back to Al Mahroussa in September 2000 by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Huascar1865[30]MonitorUnited KingdomTalcahuano, Chile219 ft (67 m)1300Oldest vessel of the Chilean Navy
HNLMS Buffel1868[30]IroncladUnited KingdomRotterdam, Netherlands196 ft (60 m)2600
HNLMS Schorpioen1868[30]IroncladFranceDen Helder, Netherlands196 ft (60 m)2400
SS Enköping1868[31]Steam shipSwedenStockholm, Sweden99 ft (30 m)Built as a steam passenger ferry. Now motorised, but still in passenger service.
Cutty Sark1869[32]ClipperUnited KingdomGreenwich, England280 ft (85 m)2100Extensively restored 2007–2012
Lewis R. French 1871[33] Schooner United States Camden, Maine 101 ft

(31 m)

Active freight carrier until 1971 at which time was refit for passenger use. Active member of Camden, Maine Schooner fleet. She is the last schooner remaining of thousands built in Maine during the 19th century.
SMS Leitha1871[34]River monitorAustria-HungaryBudapest, Hungary166 ft (51 m)Only surviving ship of the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Gjøa1872[35]SloopNorwayOslo, Norway70 ft (21 m)First vessel to transit the Northwest Passage.
Meiji Maru1873[36]Lighthouse tenderJapanTokyo, Japan249.3 ft (76.0 m)
HNoMS Rap1873[37]Torpedo boatUnited KingdomHorten, Norway60 ft (18 m)8
ARA Uruguay1874[38]CorvetteUnited KingdomBuenos Aires, Argentina150 ft (46 m)600
James Craig 1874 Tall Ship Scotland Sydney, Australia 70m 646 net Iron-hulled merchant ship restored by Sydney Heritage fleet, has a motor in but still sails under own power multiple times a month
HSwMS Sölve1875[39]MonitorSwedenGothenburg, Sweden131 ft (40 m)500
Elissa1877[40]BarqueUnited KingdomGalveston, Texas141 ft (43 m)600
Governor Stone1877SchoonerUnited StatesPanama City, Florida39 ft (12 m)
SY Lady of the Lake1877[41]Steam yachtUnited KingdomUllswater, England97 ft (30 m)Built for passenger service on Ullswater, in the English Lake District. Now motorised, but still in service.
Falls of Clyde1878[42]WindjammerUnited KingdomHonolulu, Hawaii280 ft (85 m)1800Only surviving sail-driven oil tanker
HMS Gannet1878[43]Sloop-of-warUnited KingdomChatham, England170 ft (52 m)1100
Lady Elizabeth1879[44]BarqueUnited KingdomStanley, Falkland Islands223 ft (68 m)1200Beached since 1936
Joseph Conrad1882Sailing shipDenmarkMystic, Connecticut118 ft (36 m)
BAE Abdon Calderon1884[45]GunboatUnited KingdomGuayaquil, Ecuador131 ft (40 m)300
Coronet1885[46]Schooner YachtUnited StatesNewport, Rhode Island190 ft (58 m)230a wooden-hull schooner yacht built in 1885 in Brooklyn, New York for racing, is one of the oldest and largest schooner yachts in the world
Partridge1885[47]Gaff CutterUnited KingdomLa Ciotat, France71.78 ft (21.88 m)28Partridge is the oldest, fully functioning classic racing yacht in the world and was built by John Beavor-Webb. She is based at Classic Works in La Ciotat, France.[48]
Polly Woodside1885[49]BarqueBelfastMelbourne, Australia192 ft (59 m)1100Polly Woodside is typical of thousands of smaller iron barques built in the last days of sail, intended for deep water trade around the world and designed to be operated as economically as possible.
Balclutha1886[50]Full-rigged shipUnited KingdomSan Francisco, California301 ft (92 m)4100
Sigyn1887BarqueGothenburg, SwedenTurku, Finland189 ft (57.5 m)Last remaining wooden barque used for trade across the oceans.
af Chapman1888[51]Full-rigged shipUnited KingdomStockholm, Sweden290 ft (88 m)
Arthur Foss1889[52]TugboatUnited StatesSeattle, Washington129 ft (39 m)Likely oldest wooden tugboat afloat
MY Raven1889[53]Steam yachtUnited KingdomUllswater, England112 ft (34 m)Built for passenger service on Ullswater, in the English Lake District. Now motorised, but still in service.
Fram1892[54]SchoonerNorwayOslo, Norway128 ft (39 m)402Sailed farther north and south than any other wooden vessel
USS Olympia1892[55]Protected cruiserUnited StatesPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania344 ft (105 m)6300Only surviving ship from the Spanish–American War
Turbinia1894[56]Experimental steamshipUnited KingdomNewcastle upon Tyne, England102 ft (31 m)45First turbine-powered ship
Vridni1894[57]TugboatAustria-HungarySplit, Croatia42 ft (13 m)10
C.A. Thayer1895[58]SchoonerUnited StatesSan Francisco, California219 ft (67 m)500
Belem1896[59]BarqueFranceNantes, France190 ft (58 m)500
Glenlee1896[60]BarqueUnited KingdomGlasgow, Scotland246 ft (75 m)3000
ARA Presidente Sarmiento1897[61]Training shipUnited KingdomBuenos Aires, Argentina267 ft (81 m)3000
William B. Tennison 1899 Bugeye United States Solomons Island, Maryland 60.5 ft. Built as a sailing bugeye at Crab Island MD in 1899 converted to engine power in 1912. Still operating as a US Coast Guard Licensed Passenger Vessel. The Tennison is a National Historic Landmark operated by The Calvert Marine Museum.
Mikasa1900Pre-dreadnought battleshipUnited KingdomYokosuka, Japan432 ft (132 m)15140The last remaining example of a pre-dreadnought battleship.
MV Chauncy Maples1901Motor shipUnited KingdomMalawi126 ft (38 m)250Africa's oldest motor ship[62]
Gazela1901BarquentinePortugalPhiladelphia177 ft (54 m)652Museum ship
Aurora1903Protected CruiserRussiaSaint Petersburg416 ft (127 m)6731Museum Ship
Hercules1907TugboatUnited StatesSan Francisco151 ft (46 m)409Museum Ship
SS Nyanza1907cargo shipUnited KingdomKenya812Although delerict, she still retains her original engines and boilers
Dar Pomorza 1910 Frigate Germany Poland 267 ft

(81,5 m)

2500 Museum ship in Gdynia (Poland)
Georgios Averof1910Armored CruiserGreecePalaio Faliro, Athens, Greece459.7 ft (140.1 m)10200Museum Ship open for tours
SS Nomadic1911TenderBelfastBelfast220 ft (67 m)1273The last remaining White Star Line ship.
MV Cartela1912FerryAustraliaHobart, Tasmania123 ft (37 m)260Continuous operation, now under restoration returning to steam. W.W.1. R.A.N.
Chacon1912Fishing BoatUnited StatesChugiak, Alaska72 ft (22 m)100Memorial
May Queen1912BargeAustraliaHobart, Tasmania69 ft (21 m)90Restored afloat display of the Tasmanian Maritime Museum Constitution Dock, Hobart.
CSS Acadia1913Hydrographic Surveying ShipCanadaHalifax, Canada182 ft (55 m)1700Also a former Canadian Navy Patrol Vessel
Kommuna1913Salvage VesselRussiaSevastopol, Russia315 ft (96 m)Oldest ship in actual active service with any navy (USS Constitution and HMS Victory are older, but have only "ceremonial" role).
SS Rusinga1913cargo shipUnited KingdomKenya220 ft (67 m)1300Still operational as of 2005[63]
Statsraad Lehmkuhl 1914 School sailing ship Bergen, norway
HMS Caroline 1914 Light Cruiser United Kingdom Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 420 ft (128.0 m) 3750 Only remaining ship from the Battle of Jutland. Was second oldest ship in the Royal Navy when decommissioned in 2011. Currently undergoing major restoration
USS Texas1914Dreadnought Era World War I BattleshipUnited StatesSan Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, Texas573 ft (175 m)27,000The last remaining World War I era dreadnought battleship. Also one of six remaining ships that served in World War I and World War II
MV Liemba1915cargo shipGerman EmpireTanzania234.25 ft (71.40 m)1575Scuttled during the Battle for Lake Tanganyika during the First World War, she was later raised by the British and is still an active ferry to this day
HMS M331915MonitorUnited KingdomPortsmouth, England177 ft (54 m)580Museum Ship
SS Klondike1921SternwheelerCanadaWhitehorse, Yukon210 ft (64 m)1226.25Museum Ship open for tours
STS Sedov1921BarqueGermanyRussia117.5 ft (35.8 m)7400Sail Training Vessel
PS Sudan1921[64]paddle steamerScotlandRiver Nile228 ft (69 m)600Currently used for River cruises along the Nile River[65]
SS Delphine 1921 Steam Ship United States Monaco 257.8 ft (78.6 m( 1961

See also

1907 S.S. Keewatin built in Govan Scotland for Canadian Pacific Railways as a passenger and freight ship traversing the Great Lakes until 1965. Sold to RJ Peterson of Peterson Marine in 1967 as a museum ship. Sold to Canadian interests in Port McNicoll Ontario in 2012. Operating as a museum ship currently.

1905 Steamboat Minnehaha, Lake Minnetonka Minnesota - 70 feet long launch style torpedo stern passenger ferry "streetcar boat" with triple expansion steam engine. Built by the Royal C. Moore boatworks (Wayzata, MN) for the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company for continuation of trolley line passenger service to multiple destinations on Lake Minnetonka. Scuttled in 1926, raised in 1980, restoration completed in 1995. Currently operates as a non-profit museum ship offering public excursions and special cruises.

References

  1. Wierenga, Jan (12 April 2001). "Kano Van Pesse Kon Echt Varen". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  2. Gumnior, Maren; Thiemeyer, Heinrich (2003). "Holocene fluvial dynamics in the NE Nigerian Savanna". Quaternary International. 111: 54. doi:10.1016/s1040-6182(03)00014-4.
  3. Jenkins, Nancy (January–February 1980). "The Smell of Time". Saudi Aramco World. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  4. "Bronze Age Boat". Dover Museum. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  5. Pauline., Asingh, (2009). Grauballemanden - portræt af et moselig. Moesgård Museum ([1. oplag] ed.). [Højbjerg]: Moesgård Museum. ISBN 9788702056884. OCLC 759086759.
  6. UiO Museum of Cultural History (December 10, 2012). "The Oseberg finds". University of Oslo. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  7. UiO Museum of Cultural History (December 10, 2012). "The Gokstad finds". University of Oslo. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  8. Scholl, Lars (October 2, 2006). "The Bremen Cog of 1380" (PDF). German Maritime Museum. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  9. The Vasa Museum (December 26, 2013). "Important dates". Vasamuseet.se. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  10. Royal Navy (2013). "HMS Victory". RoyalNavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  11. Paine, Lincoln (2000). Warships of the World to 1900. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  12. Nixon, W.M. (August 23, 2013). "Is This the Oldest Yacht in the World?". Afloat. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  13. City of Boston (2013). "USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard". CityofBoston.gov. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  14. Dill, J. Gregory (2006). Myth, Fact, and Navigators' Secrets: Incredible Tales of the Sea and Sailors. Globe Pequot. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  15. BBC News (September 22, 2010). "Crew diaries reunited with HMS Trincomalee on Teesside". BBC. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  16. Urquhart, Frank (March 1, 2013). "HMS Unicorn drops to dock floor". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  17. Wojtas, Joe (October 18, 2013). "Whaling ship Charles W. Morgan restores mast with silver half dollar under base for luck". TheDay.com. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  18. Paine, Lincoln (2000). Warships of the World to 1900. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  19. Cardiff School of History, Archaeology, and Religion (2012). "Conservation of Brunel's steamship SS Great Britain". Cardiff University. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  20. Owen, David (2007). Anti-Submarine Warfare: An Illustrated History. Naval Institute Press. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  21. Castell, Marcus (May 25, 2005). "Edwin Fox". New Zealand Maritime Record. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  22. Stiehm, Jamie (July 30, 1997). "USS Constellation's hull reveals its true ancestry and year of birth". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  23. PS Skibladner, paddlesteamers.info, retrieved 13 February 2018.
  24. Kure, Bernt (2013). "The frigate Jylland: building and restoration history". Traditional Shipbuilding Partnership. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  25. "The launch on Saturday". Liverpool Daily Press. December 31, 1860. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  26. Rokicki, Rich (August 20, 2000). "Civil War Sub: See how the Hunley submarine works". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  27. Warth, Gary (November 9, 2013). "Star of India still spry at 150 years old". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  28. BBC News (October 18, 2013). "City of Adelaide clipper: Protest targets Greenwich ceremony". BBC. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  29. "S.S. Mahroussa - Who were Oliver Lang and son?". sites.google.com. 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  30. 1 2 3 Frankignoul, Daniel (April 9, 2007). "The Huascar, Schorpioen and Buffel, three surviving ram ships of the Civil War era" (PDF). Confederate Historical Association of Belgium. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  31. "Enköping" (in Swedish). skargardsbatar.se. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  32. Mackie, Vivienne (December 22, 2013). "Greenwich: What time is it, and where are you?". Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  33. "Sail the Maine Coast on a Historic Maine Windjammer". schoonerfrench.com. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  34. Lloyd's Register Book (1892). Particulars of the War Ships of the World: Extracted from Lloyd's Register Book, 1892–93. Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  35. Gjøa – norsk polarskute (Store norske leksikon)
  36. Sailing Ships - Meiji Maru Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 November 2015
  37. Worth, Richard (2001). Fleets of World War II. Da Capo Press. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  38. Lloyd's Register Book (1892). Particulars of the War Ships of the World: Extracted from Lloyd's Register Book, 1892–93. Lloyd's Register of Shipping. p. 15. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  39. Lloyd's Register Book (1892). Particulars of the War Ships of the World: Extracted from Lloyd's Register Book, 1892–93. Lloyd's Register of Shipping. p. 51. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  40. Voss, Kurt (2009). Galveston's the Elissa: The Tall Ship of Texas. Arcadia Publishing. p. 12. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  41. "Lady of the Lake". National Historic Ships UK. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  42. Delgado, James (1988). "Falls of Clyde National Historic Landmark Study". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  43. Preston, Anthony (2007). Send a Gunboat: The Victorian Navy and Supremacy at Sea, 1854–1904. Naval Institute Press. p. 197. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  44. Brodie Collection (1946). "Lady Elizabeth". State Library of Victoria. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  45. Sidoli, Osvaldo (2012). "Museum ship BAE Abdon Calderon". Maritime History and Archaeology Foundation. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  46. "Coronet". Ships of the World: An Historical Encyclopedia. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1997. p. 123. ISBN 0-395-71556-3.
  47. "Partridge: From Rags to Riches". Paulafarquharson.ulitzer.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  48. "Alex Laird of Classic Works in La Ciotat, Captain of the Partridge". Classicworks.fr. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  49. "Polly Woodside". National Trust of Australia. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  50. Nolte, Carl (February 10, 2009). "Working on a classic – sailing ship Balclutha". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  51. Ohlsen, Becky (2004). Lonely Planet Stockholm. Lonely Planet. p. 160. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  52. Broom, Jack (December 28, 2012). "Vintage Vessels Share MOHAI Spotlight". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2015-03-16.
  53. "Raven". National Historic Ships UK. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  54. "The Polar Ship Fram". The Fram Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2015-03-16.
  55. Moody, Erin (November 28, 2012). "Local group makes finals to bring USS Olympia to Port Royal". Beaufort Gazette. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  56. VanDulken, Stephen (2001). Inventing the 19th Century: 100 Inventions that Shaped the Victorian Age from Aspirin to the Zeppelin. NYU Press. p. 184. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  57. Stjepan Lozo, Gordana Tudor: Počeci splitskog brodostrojarstva/Rossi—prvi hrvatski motori, Hrvatski pomorski muzej, Split, 2006, ISBN 953-97658-5-4 (Croatian)
  58. National Park Service (December 12, 2013). "CA Thayer History". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  59. Braynard, Frank (1993). The Tall Ships of Today in Photographs. Courier Dover Publications. p. 4. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  60. Schauffelen, Otmar (2005). Chapman Great Sailing Ships of the World. Hearst Books. p. 141. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  61. Histarmar (2012). "Museum ship frigate Presidente Sarmiento". Maritime History and Archaeology Foundation. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  62. "What's the future for Africa's oldest motor ship?". Anglicannews.org. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  63. "Chap.17.htm". kersi.50webs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  64. "History « Steam Ship sudan". Steam-ship-sudan.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  65. "The Dynastic « Steam Ship sudan". Steam-ship-sudan.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.