The UK's National Environment Research Council decided it would be a nice idea to allow the British public to name their new 200m pound ($AUD380 million) Royal Research Ship in an online poll.

Presumably they thought the public would take their quest seriously, but alas, it was not to be, despite the name quest being so popular the website crashed.

Due to a high amount of traffic some users may be experiencing problems using the #NameOurShip site. Please bear with us. — NERC (@NERCscience) March 20, 2016

The poll's frontrunner is the RRS Boaty McBoatface, a full 21,000 votes ahead of the next candidate, the RRS Henry Worsley, named for an explorer who died in January during an attempt to trek to the North Pole.

Other candidates, in a search that had encouraged the public to consider names that were "inspirational", were the RRS David Attenborough and the RRS Pillar of Autumn.

Aurora, Titan & Orca are just some of the names that you have suggested already #NameOurShip https://t.co/RWBIT1Fy1Y pic.twitter.com/ZuEjpsI6Kk — NERC (@NERCscience) March 20, 2016

The 129 metre-long, 24 metre-wide ship is destined to conduct research in the Antarctic region in 2019 and will carry up to 90 scientists and staff.

The Telegraph reported other names in the top 15 included RRS Boaty McBoatface the return, RRS Boat, RRS Pingu, RRS It’s bloody cold here, RRS Usain Bolt, RRS Ice Ice Baby, RRS Notthetitanic and RRS Ada Lovelace.

However, the public vote is not binding, so the research ship may still be christened with a more conventional moniker.

The #NameOurShip campaign is open until April 16, but Boaty McBoatface is already the sailaway favourite online.

Words cannot describe how much I love the notion of naming the new royal research vessel #BoatyMcBoatface — Dr Vicky Forster (@vickyyyf) March 20, 2016

Often, the world is a dark place. Then something like Boaty McBoatface happens. There are glimmers of hope for this planet. #BoatyMcBoatface — Lowri Williams (@flowri) March 20, 2016

I fear that #BoatyMcBoatface is the UK's own Donald Trump moment. People shouldn't be allowed to vote for things - we're idiots — Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) March 20, 2016

@NERCscience I'm sorry but Boaty McBoatface is the funniest thing I've seen all day!#BoatyMcBoatface #NERC — Charlotte F (@charliecat82) March 19, 2016

You know what's a good idea? Naming a boat RSS Boaty McBoatface #MakeItSo #BoatyMcBoatface pic.twitter.com/6aDojmy3uR — Boaty McBoatface (@BoatyMcBoatface) March 19, 2016

I was just dropping off to sleep then my brain went "BOATY MCBOATFACE"

and I snort-laughed myself awake



#BoatyMcBoatface — DinosaurPirate (@RStarDinoPirate) March 19, 2016