Sunday, March 20, 2016

Well, what did they expect?


The British National Environmental Research Council is building a 15,000-metric-ton Royal Research Ship to carry out Antarctic research, at a cost of about US $300 million.  Here's an artist's impression of what it will look like.




Someone at the Council thought it would be good public relations to invite the British public to name the ship.  They should have known better.  The most popular suggestion by far, as voted for by visitors to their Web site, is 'Boaty McBoatface'!

Here's the top 15 suggestions so far.  When the name of something or someone real is involved, I've provided links with more information for those interested.

  1. Boaty McBoatface
  2. Henry Worsley
  3. Pillar of Autumn
  4. David Attenborough
  5. Boaty McBoatface the return
  6. Boat
  7. Pingu
  8. It’s bloody cold here
  9. Usain Bolt
  10. Tiffany Aching
  11. Red Dwarf
  12. Tom Crean
  13. Ice Ice Baby
  14. Notthetitanic
  15. Ada Lovelace

The contest isn't over yet - but I'd wager long odds against the currently leading name being used . . .




Peter

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually Henry Worsley would make sense

Borepatch said...

I'd suggest "R.V. Topheavy".

Not sure it looks like anything I'd want to be on going through the Roaring Forties.

Old NFO said...

That forward helo deck is going to be problematic...

HeroHog said...

RED DWARF!

Larry said...

Yeah, I don't recall hardly any ships with a forward helo deck. Presumably, the ship is strengthed for ice, and if not a full icebreaker, wouldn't it make more sense to put the bridge forward and the helo further aft? If not all the way aft (looks like they've got gear for streaming a UUV or launching some sort of submersible back there, then on a raised deck above and slightly forward of the fantail? McBoatyface sounds quite descriptive to me. Naming it after a daredevil adventurer like Worsley who died enroute seems an unlucky name for a ship. Kind of like the Timothy Treadwell Brown Bear Research Center...

Rich S. said...

I wanted to submit HMS Boondoggle, but the system must know that I'm not in the UK. Oh well.

Will said...

Of course they don't want the bridge near the bow, that's the roughest ride!
I'm thinking they should have made it double-ended. That way, they could run it backwards when they need to launch or recover the 'chopper. They're not going to be moving much, or dealing with less than calm seas, when the 'chopper gets used. The first time they bring it aboard, the bridge crew is going to realize that the rotor blades are going to be in their face every time. Aircrew is not going to see much use!

You can find video on the web showing loss of control and the resulting mess with on-board 'choppers. The ship designer is an idiot.

BigFire said...

The naming website is still down. So Boaty McBoatface is going to be the new name.

Francis Turner said...

Boaty McBoatface is inspiring others

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/commuters-salute-guard-after-trainy-mctrainface-pulls-into-waterloo-a3209291.html

Kirk said...

I read up on Tom Crean because of this post and WOW that man is a steely eyed missile man. I hope that the ship is named after him. He deserves some recognition, especially as he never sought for himself.