Daniel is a former captain, working on yachts throughout the Mediterranean for the past 11 years. Having grown up in a family who owned a yacht, sailing trips with the family were a big part of his childhood. At 17, he met a captain who invited him on board and opened his eyes to the opportunities of working at sea. "I never knew this could be a job, combining what I love with a career!"

He started at rock bottom, cleaning and painting boats with little reward back then, or so he thought! "As I grew up, I was learning so much about the industry, seeing new countries and meeting high-profile people.  I finally began to appreciate all this business had to give, and by this time, I was a captain."

After sailing around the Mediterranean for several years, Daniel spent one year in the UK finishing his studies and eventually moved to a yacht based in Spain. He spent two years sailing between Palma, Ibiza and Puerto Banús. "I met some incredible people there, including my beautiful wife, Melissa." Fortunately, Melissa and Daniel were both looking for a yacht to move to at the time they first found each other and, later on, they also found a yacht to work on together.

Three years later, they decided to move back to Malta together, which led to Daniel combining his vast knowledge and connections in the yachting industry to launch his dream business www.surfyachts.com, an online booking service for yacht owners that will make their life easier anywhere in the Med. Following that, Daniel met his business partner and they eventually also launched a yacht chartering business www.superyachtingmalta.com

"You see many places, but nothing quite as charming as Malta," says Daniel. »

« Surfyachts is an online concierge service, providing 24-hr services all around the world. Yacht owners register their boat on the website free of charge and complete a service request form, which could be for anything from a private plane charter, airport pick-up or restaurant reservation to fuel bunkering or purchase of supplies. The company's purpose is to identify individuals and businesses that can supply quality work and services and then put them in touch with the owners, management and crew of the boats directly at zero commission. "People are getting the highest quality for the cheapest price" says Daniel. He continues, "Super Yachting Malta has successfully penetrated the brokerage business due to the high level of contacts abroad sourcing top class yachts. We specialise in the sales of bank owned vessels which can bring 50 to 70% savings over new builds, and we also offer the full range of lifestyle and mechanical services that other locations fail to offer."

The company's head office is based in Malta due to the great advantages the island has to offer yacht-owners, crew and anyone with a passion for sailing. "We're so spoilt being in Malta, with its central location, great weather and longer summers compared to places up north. People here are bilingual, which is a great advantage for non-locals visiting the island. We also host one of the biggest sailing races in the world - The Rolex Middle Sea Race".

Malta has become more popular with the yachting fraternity in recent years mainly due to the fact that the country's infrastructure has improved. We now have a lot more ship-servicing facilities and floating docks of up to a 100 metres.

Additionally, chartering boats to and from the island also has its advantages. Since VAT on charter fees was introduced in most countries a few years ago, Malta currently has the lowest tax charter fee for anyone starting and ending their voyage in Malta, which not only attracts more people to the island but also boosts the economy as more people continue to return here.

The only disadvantage facing the yachting industry in Malta is the shortage of berthing facilities. Very often, people buying a new boat or requesting a berth in Malta are put on a long waiting list. The government has spoken of plans for new marinas which, if come to fruition, will certainly encourage more members of the yachting fraternity to visit Malta and stay here for longer.

"We are seeing a lot of growth in the yachting sector, and I believe that we will continue to see a good growth both business and economy-wise", said Daniel. "Malta is a great place to be in and, being a local myself, I couldn't be happier to be living here. I see a very bright future for the country".

Surfyachts.com has teamed up with a local company to provide a foolproof security tracking system for boats and yachts. This service aims to provide owners and management with 24-hour security for their craft, allowing them to see where it is at all times, and to be alerted in the event of any unexpected movement, power cuts or distress calls. It also allows owners or crew management to monitor their tenders and toys (jet skis and other watersport equipment), providing complete control and safety with access though any device with an internet connection. Data is transmitted onto the servers as often as every three seconds, meaning one can view their vessel moving in real time from anywhere.

Daniel's next project - which he describes as "another fun addition to the business" - is due to be launched in just a few weeks.