The first all-electric boat club in North America has launched in Seattle after the closing of Pure Watercraft—a Seattle-based electric boat manufacturer who shuttered its doors in 2024.
The assets from Pure Watercraft were purchased by some of the company's original investors and employees, resulting in the launch of the Aurelia Boat Club.
Now the all-electric club is branching out with public support to offer a quieter, more eco-friendly experience for Seattle boaters.
Pure Watercraft was founded in 2011 and made immediate headway in the burgeoning electric boat industry. In late 2021, General Motors purchased a 25% stake in the company for $150 million with the intention to co-develop electric drivetrains and battery storage systems. Shortly thereafter, they launched their first pontoon model as part of the GM partnership. At one point the company was valued as high as $600 million. But despite the early success, Pure Watercraft was placed into receivership and sold off its assets through 2023 and 2024.
Now two of the company's employees, co-founder Danylo Kurgan and tech executive Mrugesh Desai, are leading Aurelia Boat Club forward.
“When the opportunity arose to have discussions with receivership, Dan and I had a very quick conversation and said we’d love to be able to continue this,” Desai told IBI News. “We have a long-term vision about making this more than just another boat club.”
As part of the process, Desai and Kurgan acquired four of the remaining Pure Watercraft motors stored at the company's original facility, as well as already-built pontoon hulls and related components including battery systems, spare parts. The two men also acquired the existing Pure Watercraft Club subscriber base.
According to IBI and court documents, the men acquired the boat club assets at $67,000 and have committed an additional $200,000 to support the boat club's operations.
The smaller pontoon-style boats from Watercarft seat six to 12 people and operate at lower speeds, making casual cruising around urban Seattle a nearly silent experience. Desai and Kurgan believe the reduced costs of electric boat ownership, with savings up to $8000 per year compared to a similarly sized gas-powered boat, makes for an attractive option to boaters tired of the maintenance and upkeep.
The model originally made by Pure Watercraft and General Motors featured an LOA of 24'7" with a top speed of 23 mph with dual outboards (14 mph with a single) and was powered by single or twin Pure Outboard motors and a GM designed battery pack carrying up to 66 kWh.
The original proprietary 'Pure' motor produces the equivalent of 25-50 horsepower depending on the boat type. It weighs only 112 lbs with a 16" 3-blade propeller while the lithium ion battery weighs an additional 118lbs in a remarkably small 22"x15"x9" mobile unit.
Aurelia Boat Club has plants to start operations out of two marinas, one in Ballard and one on Lake Union. With a one-time annual membership fee, the founder believe the average outing would only cost about $25.
According to IBI, the new club has already more than doubled its membership base in a month. They will focus on the Seattle area to start, but hope to expand out to other receptive markets where electric boat clubs might offer the ideal solution for casual boaters.
“It’s an amazing product," Kurgan told IBI. "We hope to build on the legacy of some of the electrification that they built on, just in the most positive way. They did some cool stuff, and we want to do some cool stuff as well.”
