Dream Boaters

Nala Thompson and her boyfriend, Jeremy, have a dream to one day own a Bayliner 300 Cruiser. And the story of that dream coming true is unfolding online. The couple launched a blog entitled "Float Our Boat: one girlfriend's quest to make a dream happen" to document their ongoing fundraising odyssey.

Jeremy and Nala hail from the Pacific Northwest, where Jeremy boated from a young age. He owned a 20-foot Bayliner until recently. "He's always loved boating," Nala says of Jeremy. "He got that from his grandpa, who lived in Astoria, Oregon." After his beloved grandfather passed away last year, the couple decided to visit a Bayliner dealership on the trip home from the funeral. "On a whim, we went in and just started looking around," she adds. They fell in love at first sight with the 300, vowing to scrape together the funds to buy it. "We went on the 300 because it was a nice size, it was towable...If we ever got our five mutual kids together on it, we could actually go somewhere and spend a few nights on it."

On Float Our Boat they sell raffle tickets and reach out to famous musicians and celebrities they think may be amenable to their cause, while posting any updates and developments. "We sold some tickets, mostly to family and friends," Nala says. Traffic to the site is growing, fueling their dream further. "I'm convinced that Eric Clapton is going to write me back," Nala says with a laugh.

To read more about Nala and Jeremy's adventure, visit www.floatourboat.blogspot.com.