POULSBO — Tucked neatly behind Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant on Front Street, Northwest Electric Boat’s offices don’t generate much excitement to the untrained eye.

However, a quick walk down the dock provides a glimpse of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take the helm of one of two 21-foot boats for a romantic dinner outing to Keyport’s Whiskey Creek Steakhouse or even a casual business meeting.

“They’re as easy to drive as a golf cart, and people come back with a gleam in their eyes,” said Northwest Electric Boat president William Archer.

Archer said he had been considering opening an electric boat rental company for some time, but it wasn’t until the office space near the Port of Poulsbo Marina became available that everything came together.

Since Liberty Bay is by and large a protected body of water, there aren’t many issues with currents or rough waters that exist in other parts of the Puget Sound, Archer said.

“The final thing was finding the right office space, and Ken Stickler and the Port of Poulsbo have been very helpful to get us up and running,” he said.

After weathering less than ideal conditions from March to June, business has picked up as warm, sunny days have been more conducive to people spending time on the water, he said.

“We’ve done OK, and we get quite a few four-hour rentals,” Archer said, adding that RE-Max Realty and other businesses have begun having functions while touring Liberty Bay.

For those unfamiliar with or unsure of what it’s like to cruise in an electric boat, Archer said the only sounds in the boat are those from it moving through the water.

“It’s all about an intimate experience on the water with your friends in a quiet atmosphere,” he said. “It’s about being able to relax.”

The boats aren’t high-speed vessels, so Archer said he felt they were a safe option to offer the public at a reasonable price.

Unlike gas-powered boats, which consume costly amounts of fuel, generate a lot of noise and pollute the environment, electric boats are quiet, inexpensive to operate and have minimal impact on their surroundings, he said.

“We’ve found that a lot of people like our four-hour rentals and our two-hour rentals are popular as well,” he said.

The majority of Northwest Electric’s customers are in their 40s and 50s, but Archer said he has plans for singles cruises in the future.

Plans are also underway for three weeks of holiday cruises during the Christmas season, when both boats will be decorated in yuletide style, he said.

Northwest Electric Boat is open seven days a week beginning at noon, but Archer said if reservations are made for an earlier time those can be arranged.

With a successful first season well underway Archer said he is confident boat rentals will become a long-standing tradition in the heart of Little Norway.