back to article What to call a £200m 15,000-tonne polar vessel – how about Boaty McBoatface?

The good folk of Blighty have voted with their fingers - the polar-bound Royal Research Ship is to be called Boaty McBoatface. The Natural Environmental Research Council last week asked for suggestions to name the £200m, 15,000 tonne floating lab that is bound for colder climes once it launches in 2019. At last count, some …

  1. ZSn

    Faith

    Just when I was losing faith in my fellow citizens along comes this...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

      Is it just me or does "Boaty McBoatface" utterly smack of a bunch of first year uni students with a hilarious sense of humour and too much time on their hands trying to skew the vote?

      When they're factored out, it'll turn out that your fellow citizens actually voted for something boringly worthy like "Vanguard". :-)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

        Never underestimate the power of a shell loop, curl, and a crappy PHP voting system.

      2. DaLo

        Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

        Well seeing as that suggestion was from the Communications Manager of The Independent Association of Prep Schools, James Hand, then does that add or detract weight from your theory?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

          Like the proud wankers who voted for Fapulous Apple to be the new Mountain Dew flavor, only to be outvoted by Hitler Did Nothing Wrong, brought to you by 4chan IIRC.

          This is what always happens when you ask the internet. And you fully deserve it if you're too chicken to come up with a name yourselves.

          P.S. c'mon guys, there's still time to do worse than Boaty McBoatface.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

            My nomination, if the site comes back up; "2 Girls, 1 tub".

            1. x 7

              Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

              "My nomination, if the site comes back up; "2 Girls, 1 tub"."

              So "rub a dub dub, two screws in my tub"

              A nursery rhyme about ships propulsion devices

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

              > My nomination, if the site comes back up; "2 Girls, 1 tub".

              Which will get blocked by the poor people who have to look through the entries before they get posted..

              SWMBO is one of them!

            3. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

              My nomination, if the site comes back up; "2 Girls, 1 tug".

              TFTFY

        2. graeme leggett Silver badge

          Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

          And an ex-Beeb man too.

          http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-35860760 "Boaty McBoatface instigator 'sorry' for ship name suggestion"

          1. Tommy Pock

            Re: An ex-Beeb man, too

            Not only is Boaty McBoatface the most British of suggestions, the apology for suggesting it couldn't have been more English

      3. JeevesMkII

        Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

        It's the internet, dude. They should thank their lucky stars they don't have to name their boat RRS Hitler Did Nothing Wrong.

        1. Triggerfish

          Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

          So how do you know students did it, or do you work your conclusions backwards from bias?

          Also the website crashed after news reports of the name as far as I know, could still be people cheating the system but I like to hope the whole of the UK heard the story and wen't yeah lets make sure that name wins.

          1. Alien8n

            Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

            It's this kind of logic that helps Finnish death metal bands win the Eurovision.

            Let's face it, when Lordi were announced as Finland's entry that year they were guaranteed 12 points from the UK :)

            And we clearly don't want to win, otherwise we'd just get Iron Maiden to enter...

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

            @ Triggerfish; "So how do you know students did it, or do you work your conclusions backwards from bias?"

            Given that I said it "utterly smacked" of a bunch of students, I think it's quite obvious that my conclusion was 100% worked backwards from narrowminded, student-stereotyping bias.

            Duh!

            You make it sound like that's a bad thing! ;-)

            @DaLo; "Well seeing as that suggestion was from the Communications Manager of The Independent Association of Prep Schools, James Hand, then does that add or detract weight from your theory?"

            "Independent Association of Prep Schools"? You mean this guy's got enough free time from his "real" job (i.e. doing PR for future Bullingdon Club members training to get into Eton) to come up with this?

            You're probably right. Not so much a student w*****r, more of a "****** Mc****face" then?

            1. Triggerfish

              Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s @AC

              In that case I tip my hat to you sir for revelling in your biased and narrowminded predujices. My apologies I was reading the daily mail website before, forgot you get an intelligence and self awareness on here.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s @AC

                I rather like "Name of Vessel" as shown in the photo.

                Reminds me of "First name is required".

              2. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s @AC

                @Triggerfish; Either that or I was playing up the (admittedly not entirely without foundation) stereotype of students and young people in general- yes, I've been there myself, surprisingly- and quite obviously acknowledging that for tongue-in-cheek purposes.

                I guess if you missed that glaringly obvious fact you might think I was a Daily Mail reader rather than someone who wouldn't wipe my arse with it for fear of turning my backside racist. (Joke stolen from some comedian, can't remember who...)

                What are "predujices" by the way? Are they a range of delicious orange and apple flavoured drinks popular with the aforementioned Daily Mail set? (^_^)

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

          > RRS Hitler Did Nothing Wrong

          or RRS Götterdämmerung (in homage to Iron Sky of course)

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

            My suggestion was "RSS I knew we should have made the hull stonger" probably won't get posted..

      4. Suricou Raven

        Re: This is why everyone thinks students are w*****s

        It's a reference. It doesn't make sense unless you've prior exposure to a certain meme.

    2. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: ZSn Re: Faith

      "....my fellow citizens....: I would suggest the "unusually high traffic" is an indicator not of citizens but probably of one citizen skiddie and a zombie farm.

  2. Mage Silver badge
    Pint

    OK Then

    The main purpose of Democracy is really to ditch stupid leaders without the bother of a bloody revolution?

    So it's maybe OK that they pick a name themselves if they get a bunch of loony tunes.

    1. Emperor Zarg

      Re: OK Then

      The main purpose of Democracy is really to ditch stupid leaders without the bother of a bloody revolution?

      That seems to have worked well...

  3. Darryl

    Typical. "Tell us what to name it. Unless, of course, we don't like the name you all like, in which case we'll just do what we always do and pick our own damn name."

    1. DavCrav

      "Typical. "Tell us what to name it. Unless, of course, we don't like the name you all like, in which case we'll just do what we always do and pick our own damn name.""

      How about, more likely: "Give us some suggestions. But if you do something stupid, we have the right to ignore you."

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Paris Hilton

        Tell us what to name it. Unless, of course, we don't like the name you all like, in which case we'll just do what we always do and pick our own damn name

        It's like US-supported regime change, then?

    2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      > pick our own damn name

      Which was always an option. Although, they might be leaning towards naming one of the smaller attached boats (like a small tugboat) as Boaty McBoatface..

      Or so a source familiar with the situation tells me.

  4. small and stupid

    I predict the name will be

    m/v lateandoverbudget

    1. yoganmahew

      Re: I predict the name will be

      Bipolar

      1. Alien8n

        Re: I predict the name will be

        The RSS Stephen Fry?

  5. Clockworkseer

    It no longer matters what they officially call it.

    As thanks to the publicity,it will now, in the public conciousness, be forever "<soandso> also known as Boaty McBoatface"

  6. Blane Bramble

    You'd think people would know better by now. The British public can be reliably trusted to take the piss...

    1. Clockworkseer

      Reminds me of the Gitwizard/David Blaine and his attempt to hang in a glass box over the Thames with no food. At which point the british public obligingly used remote control aircraft to drop cheeseburgers on the roof.

      If there's a way to skewer excess dignity, the british public will find it.

      1. Triggerfish

        @Clockworkseer

        I saw a commenter on another forum refer to it as a Twatdangle.

        1. Sir Runcible Spoon

          Re: @Clockworkseer

          "I saw a commenter on another forum refer to it as a Twatdangle."

          I was under the impression that a commentard coined that particular (accurate) observation?

          When I saw him in his box, I could hardly make him out due to the quantity of raw eggs covering the box :)

          1. Triggerfish

            Re: @Clockworkseer

            I swear I saw it on b3ta, but I am pretty sure another commentard who is on here visits there as well.

    2. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects

      Hot DAMN!!

      But I feel so proud.

      Is that the unladen weight or the body-line when it is full of dead Linux symbols and blubber?

    3. Youngone Silver badge

      The British public can be reliably trusted to take the piss...

      It's one of their best qualities.

      1. Chorotega

        I'd prefer RSS Lets get ship faced

    4. Evil Auditor Silver badge
      Devil

      The British public can be reliably trusted to take the piss...

      That makes me overly optimistic for June 23.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I think I prefer RRS Pingu.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      My personal favourite was RRS Nottetitanic

    2. akeane

      Moc moc!

      PiiinnnnnnGGGUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

      Hopefully the boat will be sufficiently armed to take out that boring Sammy the Seal who is always messing up Pingu's fun...

      P.S. I am not mad, and have only had my allowed daily ration of cognac. Peace to you all (expect boring seals)

      Hail Pingu, fools!

    3. Evil Auditor Silver badge

      RRS Pingu?

      or RRS It's Grim Down South.

  8. brassedoff
    IT Angle

    Whatever, mission accomplished because all the media (and many many people) now know about the NERC's new research vessel, all because of a silly name

    )FWIW, I also voted for Boaty McBoatface. Just because)

  9. ChunkyMonkey

    Whatever you think

    "Boaty McBoatface" does have a certain poetry to it.

    I personally voted for Henry Worsley, his obituary describes a remarkable man.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12121935/Lieutenant-Colonel-Henry-Worsley-obituary.html

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Whatever you think

      If they ever get the web site back on its feet I shall be adding Kenneth William Cobley to the list:

      http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article4692211.ece

      Legend.

  10. Bloodbeastterror

    Oh please, please...

    ... let the Queen launch it with the traditional bottle of champagne and the regal "I name this ship..."

    Deep joy... :-)

  11. the spectacularly refined chap

    This is nothing new

    People should have learned by now you can't trust the public to name things. It's probably 150 years since the East Lancashire Railway ran a public poll to name a club they were opening for use by their employees. The winner: The East Lancashire Railway Employee's Club.

    1. Gordon 10

      Re: This is nothing new

      Personally I would have gone for Railway Employees Club - The East Lancashire Region.

      But then I've always been known for making an arse of meself.

      1. Triggerfish

        Re: This is nothing new

        The town of Ugly's Womens Institute was named the Ugly Womens Institute, bit of a problem, to alleviate this it was changed to - The Womens Institute - Ugly Branch.

        Also shout out to the town of Muff in Ireland and their scuba club, I'll leave you all to guess the name.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: This is nothing new

        Quote: "Railway Employees Club - The East Lancashire Region."

        Pah, splitters.

    2. tim 13

      Re: This is nothing new

      We had a competition to name the meeting rooms in our new building...

      Result :

      Seminar Room 1

      Seminar Room 2

      Board Room

      Executive Room

      Meeting Room

  12. Bloodbeastterror

    Another famous Brit poll

    I believe that our treasured national UK TV station was the subject of a people's poll, and they (we) chose "Dave".

    Nice one, my fellow Brits...

    1. Matthew Smith

      Re: Another famous Brit poll

      'Dave' was inexplicably chosen in the last election too.

      1. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects

        Piss poll

        NT

      2. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Another famous Brit poll

        But look at the choices we were given.....

  13. Haku

    If I'd known about the open suggestions for names I'd have submitted:

    RRS OMG Nowai

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      RRS Aboutface

      ...or possibly...

      RRS Aboatface

      ...to riff on the current winner and also cram as many dad-quality puns in there as possible.

  14. Roger Greenwood

    Two things

    1. It was Usain Boat (also brilliant)

    2. My serious vote was for Eric Melrose Brown (who also explored the limits of man and machine).

    1. DaLo

      Re: Two things

      You can see the publications who have just repackaged other news articles and not done proper research as they have all called it Usain Bolt rather than Usain Boat and not questioned why Usain Bolt would be an amusing name for a ship.

  15. Arthur the cat Silver badge

    RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here

    A definite touch of Iain M Banks' ship names there.

    1. BoldMan

      Re: RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here

      RRS Gravitas? It was here a moment ago...

    2. TitterYeNot

      Re: RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here

      A definite touch of Iain M Banks' ship names there.

      Alternatively, with a generous pinch of Culture humour, the RRS Whatever Floats Your Boat, alongside its sister ship, the RRS Fluid Displacement, Usually...

      1. ElectricFox
        Boffin

        Re: RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here

        "Unfortunate Conflict Of Evidence" would be my Cultured choice for this research vessel

      2. MeRp

        Re: RRS Fluid Displacement, Usually.

        It will always displace fluid; the usually comes in on whether it (and its contents) are displacing based on mass or volume. Every captain dreads the prospect of their vessel exchanging displacement based on tonnage to displacement based on m^3.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here

      And about time too, one word vessel names are so boring.... soon the AI in ships etc will be able to name itself!!!

      My Culture suggestion would be the "RRS I may be some time"

  16. Bob Rocket

    merchandising pays expenses

    Calling their new ship RSS Boaty McBoatface could spawn huge merchandising opportunities including plastic toys, tv cartoons (think Bob the Builder), get Aardman to do a feature, this could be worth millions.

    It would also publicise the science and attract young minds into the field.

    Of course that won't happen, they will name the ship after some worthy dead bloke that no one has heard of (much less has any interest in) and the opportunity will be lost.

    TPTB have no idea how the modern world works.

    1. Known Hero

      Re: merchandising pays expenses

      NAIL - HEAD - TARGET ACQUIRED

  17. Alexander J. Martin

    Wrong section?

    Should be in Boatnotes, shurely.

    1. Gasp!

      Re: Wrong section?

      Or just Das Bootnotes

  18. Paul Crawford Silver badge
    Linux

    Good Ship Venus

    It simply has to be, as the penguins has missed out on that nautical fun for too long.

    1. John Sager

      Re: Good Ship Venus

      Penguins would never, ever, indulge in that kind of behaviour. You can tell by the uniform.

      1. ElectricFox
        Gimp

        Re: Good Ship Venus

        What happens on Boaty McBoatface stays on Boaty McBoatface...

        1. John G Imrie
          Gimp

          Re: Good Ship Venus

          # Sit on my Boatface and tell me that you love me.

          With apologies to Python, Monty

          1. Dave 126 Silver badge

            Re: Good Ship Venus

            Upon the wretched penguins

            The crew committed grave sins

            The birds they trussed

            For a might thrust

            Whilst grabbing hold of their wings

            - I'm sure Loudon Wainwright III could pen better, filthier lyrics.

  19. chivo243 Silver badge

    Checking the calendar

    Checking, checking, checking, no, it's definitely not April 1st.

    Something, something, airships called Farty McFartFart, mutter mutter

    The other Navies will have a field day with this one.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    RRS Titanic?

    Might be bad karma though.

    RRS Danceswithbergs might also work.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    RRS Hole? RRS Wipe?

    RRS Jim Lad?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Tribute to Frank Kelly?

      How about "RRS! Feck! Girls!" ?

  22. Dave 32
    Pint

    RRS Davy Jones?

    RRS Davy Jones?

  23. Zebo-the-Fat

    Noooo...!

    It's not a boat, it's a ship!

    (You can put a boat on a ship (think life boats) but you can't put a ship on a boat)

    1. ElectricFox
      Trollface

      Re: Noooo...!

      All the more reason to call it Boaty McBoatface....

    2. Alister

      Re: Noooo...!

      but you can't put a ship on a boat

      Unless it's a ship-in-a-bottle...

    3. Darryl

      Re: Noooo...!

      Shipy McShipface could lead to embarrassing mispronouncement...

    4. Jon 37
      Coat

      Re: Noooo...!

      This looks like a ship on a ship to me:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MV_Blue_Marlin_carrying_USS_Cole.jpg

      More pictures here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy-lift_ship

    5. DropBear
      Trollface

      Re: Noooo...!

      We can go the ship route too if you wish... "RSS Oh, Ship!", anyone...?

      1. Locky

        Re: Noooo...!

        RSS Sailors Ship Faced?

    6. Vic

      Re: Noooo...!

      you can't put a ship on a boat

      Sure you can.

      Probably just the once, though...

      Vic.

  24. This post has been deleted by its author

  25. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Coat

    Perhaps naming after

    that famous crew member who been on every polar trip ever

    I am, of course, refering to Seaman Stains

    I'm gone

  26. Anonymous Cowherder

    What a load of joyless c***s.

    Boaty McBoatface is a perfectly cromulent name. The narks rolling back from letting the people name the bloody thing preferring a "Panel of experts" do it instead is a nonsense. How does one become a boatnaming expert? I've named dogs, cats, rabbits, teams at work, cars and other inanimate objects as well as fantasy football teams, servers, networks, AD domains and all manner of other things, does this make me an expert?

    You've opened the poll, live by the winning entry, who cares what the bloody thing is actually called? Vote freedom, vote McBoatface!

    1. Peter Simpson 1
      Happy

      Re: What a load of joyless c***s.

      I'm rather partial to "Name of Vessel", as it seems to have already been painted (or at least, Photoshopped) onto the bow.

  27. x 7

    damn page is still u/s, otherwise I would have suggested naming the ship "RRS William Dampier" after one of our greatest, earliest maritime explorers. First man to circumnavigate the world three times, the first by accident.

    He instigated the study of ocean currents, and some of his charts are still in use. He predates Cook by around 100 years

    He marooned William Selkirk, and then navigated the ship that picked him up again years later. First man to properly chart any part of Australia

    1. Alan Edwards

      > William Selkirk

      ITYM Alexander Selkirk, who would be one of my suggestions. He's already had a Virgin train named after him, I regularly used to get that one from Leeds to Chesterfield.

      That must have been an awkward conversation, when Dampier turned up on the ship sent to pick him up.

      1. x 7

        "ITYM Alexander Selkirk"

        Correct, I did mean him

        I made a stupid brain-fart

      2. Skribblez

        Not so awkward a conversation for Selkirk?

        Been awhile since I did any research into the background of Defoe's _Crusoe_ but didn't Selkirk ask to be marooned after arguing over the seaworthiness of the ship he was on, which sank shortly thereafter?

        Dampier commanded the other ship and the overall expedition, so the conversation would have been more, "I told them so!" than awkward.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      >damn page is still u/s

      Sadly, the microsite was put out to a small agency (under less than ideal circumstances) and said agency didn't seem to have done anything in the way of contingency planning..

  28. Aremmes

    "Boaty McBoatface" does seem to have a certain tinny quality to it, unlike, say, "Glamorgan." Or, "Atlantic Conveyor." Or "Teignmouth Electron." Nice, solid woody names those.

    1. x 7

      "Nice, solid woody names those."

      slightly bad taste methinks WRT "Atlantic Conveyor". Especially considering how some of the people on that ship died (something even I will NOT post here)

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      I don't know - "Teignmouth Electron" sounds a bit tinny to me. Gooorn...

  29. Cynic_999

    Thinking of yachts I've come across, the two best names were:

    A rather uncomfortable & lively hard-chine sailboat called, "Bucking Float" and a large concrete yacht christened, "Maid of Portland".

    For this vessel though, I refer to another El Reg article and suggest "RRS Large Ships and How to Avoid Them"

  30. the spectacularly refined chap

    RRS Hole

    That is all

  31. Admiral Grace Hopper

    Could be worse

    Having cleaned up a large number of test installations, I can assert with evidence that 40% of developers will call their file server "Gandalf". No imagination, some people.

    1. Stevie

      Re: Could be worse

      During my roving years I lost count of the cluster nodes "Calvin" and "Hobbes".

  32. Turbo Beholder
    Linux

    If its mission is basically "Spirit of Mawson 3.0", this name may be downright merciful.

  33. Geoff Johnson

    RRS End Of The World Explorer

    would get my vote if the page worked.

  34. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    Sounds like one of those SEO contests...

    ...where the organisers dream-up a phrase unknown to Google.

  35. sjsmoto

    I'd be disappointed if a British polar vessel wasn't named RSS Bangers and Mash.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Star Trek XXVII

    Nostalgic twenty-sixth century hipsters revive Twitter and prevail upon Starfleet Command to humiliate 180-year-old Picard for marking a politically insensitive remark over a century ago by assigning him command of Training Shuttle 8th Class USS Starry McStarboat.

  37. Measurer

    but...

    I think the boat should be called 'and this is why everyone thinks students are wankers'.

  38. Dr. G. Freeman

    Discussed this with our resident Sparky here,

    His reply was simple, elegant and beautiful

    "call it Boat".

  39. TopCat62

    How about "It used to be bloody cold here"

    Actually I also like "Name of vessel", as in the pic.

  40. cd / && rm -rf *

    Although...

    ... I did like the suggestion of RSS What Iceberg?

  41. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    Is Her Majesty the Queen going to launch it?

    How about "Far Kit"? After all, it's travelling a long way with lots of expensive kit on board.

  42. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    RRS Suggestion by expert panel pending

  43. Peter 69
    Coat

    RSS Poke It With A Stick

    If it was a support ship, then then "RSS RTFM"...

    1. Alan Edwards

      Re: RSS Poke It With A Stick

      > If it was a support ship, then then "RSS RTFM"...

      And it's sister ship RRS Did You Turn It Off And On Again :)

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The RSS Feed?

    OR

    RSS It ain't 'alf cold Mum!

  45. ShadowDragon8685

    One of my friends - an unironically german friend - had to say about this: "Apparently, Britain as a whole is stupid. The Queen Herself will have to name it the way it's chosen. IMAGINE her saying:"I dub thee RRS Boaty McBoatface / RRS Big Shipinnit!""

    After I objected that that sounded (a) hilarious and (b) HILARIOUS, he then mentioned that magical word: "Ships, especially official ones, not privately owned ones and even more so that make your head of state look like an idiot for naming it otherwise should come with names with a certain amount of gravitas..."

    Which of course, makes me want to suggest they name the sodding thing RRS Quantum of Gravitas, although I personally prefer RRS Big Shipinnit.

    Not that I'm eligible to have a say in the matter, since my ancestors went and told HM the King to go and bugger all of Parliament (and vice-versa) ~240 years ago. But still, if you're gonna hold a vote, you should either say without hesitation "Yes, we'll use the winner," or set guidelines that will obviously disqualify certain entries - such as "the ship must be named after a groundbreaking naval explorer," or "the ship must be named after a citizen of the UK with some connection to the sciences and to the antarctic" or at least "suggestions must have at least a moderate amount of gravitas to be considered."

  46. Soruk
    WTF?

    Technical issues? They've gone and deleted it from the DNS!

    RRS Ship Happens.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    rumour has it that George Osborne is being renamed Cunty McCuntface

    1. DocJames

      rumour has it...

      http://newsthump.com/2016/03/21/new-online-poll-could-see-george-osborne-renamed-cunty-mccuntface/ might be what you're looking for.

  48. Mystic Megabyte

    keep it short

    The poor skipper of this ship is going to have to spell out whatever name is chosen on the radio. No doubt the winner will be something stupid like Sir Hugh Woresly-Wankbottom. My suggestion, RSS Aurora.

  49. adnim

    Ice seagul

    Say it quick :-)

  50. cloth

    I think there's a nice compromise here - RRS David Attenborough is third in the most popular list.

    He's got an eccentric British twist to him, loves the planet, and is pretty much unanimously loved by on and as he approaches his final years.

  51. David Roberts
    Coat

    Endless scope for fun

    I was kind of hoping it would be named the Black Pig. For endless crew name puns.

    However I would go with the leading suggestion if they recruited a Mr. Skipper to be the commanding officer.

    Skipper Skipper of Boaty McBoatface has an undeniable ring to it.

    [Or even Skipper McSkipper.]

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Angel

      Re: Endless scope for fun

      Black Pig! that's the one, it even comes with a theme tune & cabin boy jokes etc

  52. Tikimon
    Linux

    RRS Brass Monkey

    Clean enough on the surface, gets the point across, yes?

    1. Stevie

      Re: RRS Brass Monkey

      Certainly did when I posted it last week.

  53. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who?

    One of the best boat names is Hoof Hearted. On the ship-shore radio they repeat the called vessel's name/callsign 3 times...

    "Hoof Hearted, Hoof Hearted, Hoof Hearted ...."

  54. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Troutbridge

    I think it'd be quite fun to call it Troutbridge, even if it is a civilian ship.

    Left hand down a bit...

  55. d..b

    XKCD inspired suggestion

    RSS '); DROP TABLE boats;--

  56. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OBE on its way to the mod

    what miffed you? would be nice to have explanation of deletion.

  57. Stevie

    Bah!

    Whatever you call it, register it in Lee Key, Fl.

  58. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Vote for RRS Baldrick!

    That's my submission.

    1. ShadowDragon8685

      Re: Vote for RRS Baldrick!

      That's supposed to be "Sodoff Baldric," surely?

      I dunno, though... Hearing that the RRS Sodoff Baldrick was escorted by HMS Edmund Blackadder would be amusing...

      Eh, I still think Big Shipinnit is the best.

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