Public overwhelmingly votes to call $200 million research vessel Boaty McBoatface
Naming a boat is an art form. Left in the hands of the wrong people, terrible injustices can occur.
In Britain this year, The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) launched a marketing campaign, called #NameOurShip, to name their newest £200 million research vessel. After an intense election season, the public -- who apparently is deeply invested in boat nomenclature -- voted overwhelmingly in favor of one name. As of Saturday, it appears that the UK may name one of their most prestigious boats: Boaty McBoatface.
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Former radio presenter James Hand put forth the name, which received 124,109 votes. At a distant second was Poppy Mai, with 34,371 votes, and in third place, Henry Worsley, with a mere 15,231.
NERC said they would review "all of the suggested names" and make their announcement in "due course."
It's unclear how they could get a better name than Boaty McBoatface, but okay.
The 128-meter research vessel is expected to be the biggest and most advanced in the United Kingdom. In 2019, it will tour the Arctic and Antarctic seas with 90 scientists on staff. The boat's planned climate research in Arctic and Antarctic is vital for understanding global warming.
No matter what NERC decides to call it, it will always be Boaty McBoatface in our hearts.
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
