The day we picked up our new RV, Laura asked me if we were going to name it. Now I’m not usually the give your car a name type but in this case I didn’t hesitate for a second and when I said “RV McRVFace“, she agreed immediately because she also knew that it couldn’t be anything else and here’s a little history for those that don’t get the reference:
Back in March 2016 the UK was building a new $287 million polar research ship for the British Antarctic Survey. It was to be fully equipped with the latest instrumentation for the purposes of carrying out research in polar regions, for which it would have an improved icebreaking capability and greater endurance over existing polar research vessels, and also to serve as a logistic support vessel for BAS teams in inshore locations, all pretty cool stuff (no pun intended).
A few months before construction began, the Natural Environment Research Council (The actual owners of the ship) announced that members of the public were being asked to suggest names for the ship. Names previously used would not be eligible, but otherwise it was open to suggestions and, of course, this was all being done via an on-line poll.
Former BBC Radio Jersey presenter James Hand jokingly suggested RRS “Boaty McBoatface” and then the internet did what the internet usually does with people quickly disregarding the more dignified names suggested such as Shackleton, Endeavour, Falcon and instead quickly voting Boaty the most popular choice. When the poll closed Boaty McBoatface was the runaway winner with 124,109 votes.
The top five suggestions were:
RRS Boaty McBoatface – 124,109
RRS Poppy-Mai – 34,371
RRS Henry Worsley – 15,231
RRS It’s Bloody Cold Here – 10,679
RRS David Attenborough – 10,284
Annnnnd … the RRS David Attenborough set sail July 14, 2018 but it did so equipped with a remotely controlled submersible named Boaty McBoatface!
So there you have it, we really didn’t have any other choice to make. Meet RV McRVFace:
