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Discussion > Name the new UK Polar Ice Breaker

"RSS David Viner" so children in the future will remember what global warming was all about.

I don't know how much this ice breaker, that we weren't supposed to need, is costing, but just think how many more we could have bought, if we hadn't wasted so much money on 'science' we never knew we needed.

Mar 19, 2016 at 7:55 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

golf charlie
I think it is a replacement research vessel with limited ice-breaking capability, any ship in those waters needs some break-out capability, rather than primarily being an icebreaker. The UK has had a long history of Arctic/Antarctic research ships.

Mar 19, 2016 at 8:01 PM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

SandyS, you are correct, but if maximum publicity is being sought for this ship with this naming competition, it is only fair to provide AGW alarmists with the publicity they normally crave.

HMS Endurance only got publicity as a result of being withdrawn from service, causing Argentina to interpret it as a statement of the UK's feelings towards the Falklands, and that Endurance was named after Shackleton's ship, on the doomed mission as WW1 was breaking out. That Shackleton survived, rescuing all his men, makes him one of Britain's greatest heroes (and seafarers) who is largely unknown.

But ..

RSS Ernest Shackleton is already in service! Based in the Falklands, British Antarctic Survey. Who knew?

Mar 19, 2016 at 9:05 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Please not the David Viner. His (in)fame lies in predicting snow (lack thereof) not ice. Remember he did this just before the release of satellite imagery showing the entire UK covered in the white stuff. He also, whilst filming climate change at Mullion Cove, took time off to attempt a sea rescue which was unsuccessful, allegedly because of faulty life saving equipment. So not a ice breaker, nor perhaps a lifeboat, but a brave man nonetheless and despite his fantasy climate nightmares.

Mar 20, 2016 at 7:07 AM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

Alan Kendall, but mentioning David Viner must be a great ice breaker when it has all gone quiet at climate science parties. Raises the temperature in any benign atmosphere.

Credit to David Viner, I was unaware of the Mullion Cove incident. Thank you.

Mar 20, 2016 at 11:31 AM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

O.K. name a lifeboat, or better yet a life vest, on-board the icebreaker after him.

Mar 20, 2016 at 12:33 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

Alan Kendall, excellent idea!

For lifeboats and lifesaving at sea "Colin Archer", a Scottish Norwegian springs to mind. He designed the Fram, a boat designed to avoid crushing by ice, by being squeezed upwards. The Fram was used by Amundsen, and the Fram Strait is named after it.

Colin Archer's name is still linked to the design of many seaworthy designs, and helped inspire the design of Suhali, the first boat sailed around the world, non-stop, singlehanded by Robin Knox-Johnston

Mar 20, 2016 at 4:39 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

golf Charlie, so is there a RRS Colin Archer out there? If not, then it should a be a definite proposal. It would seem to fit the bill for an ice-bound ship almost perfectly.

Mar 20, 2016 at 4:47 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

You could have the "Tim Flannery toilets" onboard

..IMHO Tho for anti-corruption purposes things should not be named after people.
................................
Capital Radio has been running a campaign to get the joke name to the top so that has 9 times more votes than the next entry

RRS BOATY MCBOATFACE James Hand 26784
RRS HENRY WORSLEY Bernie Jones 3011
RRS PILLAR OF AUTUMN Havelock Vetinari 2251
RRS DAVID ATTENBOROUGH Elizabeth Jones1972
RRS BOATY MCBOATFACE THE RETURN Simon Lawrence 1321
RRS ITS BLOODY COLD HERE Stuart Taylor 1154
RRS BOAT Louis Marrs 741
RRS PINGU Jack Reece 680
RRS USAIN BOAT Lyn Summers 594
RRS TIFFANY ACHING Philip Greenwood 463
RRS RED DWARF paul whiteley 420
RRS THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH Chandrika NM 393
RRS BOATIMUS PRIME David Hejral 345
RRS ICE ICE BABY Norma Roberts 344
RRS BOAT MARLEY AND THE WHALERS

(Boaty McBoatface isn't exactly funny is it ?)
“the final decision on the name of the ship will be taken by the Chief Executive of NERC.”
Their website is close to crashing these days

Mar 21, 2016 at 7:06 AM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

Alan Kendall, I do not know if there is a ship named 'Colin Archer', but there are many boats inspired by his design principles, and still referred to as such

stewgreen 'Boatymcboatface' story is about to be on Jeremy Vine BBC Radio 2!

Mar 21, 2016 at 12:17 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

According to consensus predictions Arctic Sea Ice is a thing of the past.
Therefor the best name for the new icebreaker is the "RRS Redundancy".

Mar 21, 2016 at 2:11 PM | Unregistered Commenterhunter

Being so good at predicting stuff, the Science body predicted the naming idea would turn into a farce didn't they ?
"Man who coined 'Boaty McBoatface' name for €255m research vessel: 'I'm sorry for coming up with it'"
"The former BBC radio presenter explained his reasons for suggesting the name to"

I don't really get the joke ..is the name from Childrens TV or something ?

Mar 21, 2016 at 2:53 PM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

stewgreen, according to the BBC, this ship demonstrates the UK's committment to Global Warming and all the self-righteous causes that sail on it.

The man who suggested BoatyMcBoatface, is a FORMER BBC employee. Maybe there is a link. It could just be that as a former BBC employee, he knew the subversive power of propaganda.

Mar 21, 2016 at 4:05 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Stewgreen, I'm not aware that the name is from a specific children’s TV program, but I'm not best informed. To me, the joke is that they have suggested a name which is just totally "pants" as a way of thumbing-their-nose at the self importance of the whole scheme.

There cannot be anything remotely offensive or obnoxious or even inappropriate about it. Not even the Walt Disney corporation could object. But it is a delightfully puerile choice in a very British kind of way, as someone else pointed out. When all is said and done it is, after all, just the name for a frickin' boat. Like it really matters. The exercise itself is as pointless as the person who breaks a bottle of champagne over it at the launch ceremony, except its use as a marketing exercise for the people who are already getting a brand new boat bought for them at considerable tax payer expense. Meanwhile, back in the real world real people will be seen in tonight's BBC program:
"Panorama - Too Poor to Stay Warm" being broadcast on BBC One on Monday 21 March at 20:30 GMT.

Yet global-warmers get a new 'ice breaker' to travel to where some of them said there wouldn't be any ice last summer. My personal take is that the great British sense of humour is making a more subtle point here about the bone they are being thrown from such largesse. Others may disagree of course, but that's humour for you: it is a very subjective thing.

Mar 21, 2016 at 7:20 PM | Unregistered Commentermichael hart

The NERC 'name our ship' site has crashed (or have they pulled the plug on it?).

Mar 21, 2016 at 8:03 PM | Registered CommenterSalopian

I think RRS Ice Melt Gore is suitably ambiguous. Go on, try saying it.

Mar 21, 2016 at 8:33 PM | Unregistered CommenterIt doesn't add up...

They seems to have pulled the plug.

Firefox can't find the server at nameourship.nerc.ac.uk.

Too bad. I wanted to suggest something like RSS MISS INGHEAT

Mar 22, 2016 at 9:32 AM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Actually it still works, so persevere.

Mar 24, 2016 at 8:59 AM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

My name for the new ship is "..........RedRover"

Mar 27, 2016 at 2:55 PM | Unregistered CommenterCamilla forget

The boat is due to be named on 16 April, so last chances to get your ideas in...

The site is still functioning.

Apr 11, 2016 at 3:09 PM | Unregistered CommenterIt doesn't add up...

"Turned out ice again" would be a good ice breaker at any Polar Party, if the atmosphere got frosty.

Apr 11, 2016 at 5:37 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Good news chaps! Whatever they call the new ship, it won't have to go so far to get to the North Pole, that''s heading for London!

Nasa scientists have revealed the North Pole is slowly moving towards London because of environmental changes driven by global warming.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/north-pole-moving-towards-london-because-of-global-warming-a3224206.html

Or is it heading for Exeter?

Apr 16, 2016 at 1:43 PM | Unregistered CommenterRudolph Hucker

Rudolph Hucker, if the Pole is heading to London, it could wreak havoc with the Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race. They have had sinkings on TV footage, but never a true Titanic moment. It might increase the value of BBC TV rights when they broadcast to the world.

Apr 16, 2016 at 2:54 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

It seems the ship has run aground without a name.

https://nameourship.nerc.ac.uk/name-our-ship.html

Apr 16, 2016 at 10:01 PM | Unregistered CommenterIt doesn't add up...

They've announced that Boaty McBoatface won the public vote:

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/04/17/boaty-mcboatface-officially-tops-public-rss-nameourship-vote

https://twitter.com/TheDrum/status/721631828600320000/photo/1

However, they've yet to admit whether they will go with that in practice.

Apr 17, 2016 at 11:06 AM | Unregistered CommenterIt doesn't add up...