Michael Carter is an Accredited member of the Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) which is the membership grade only offered to qualified surveyors. He has served on the YDSA national committee since 2003. In 2004 Michael was awarded the title of ‘Surveyor of the Year’ and presented with the ‘Leslie Oliver trophy’.

Michael is an elected member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, in recognition of his expertise and experience as a marine surveyor.

Michael was born into a family that lived on a Royalty Class historic Narrowboat in the 1960's. As he grew older his family moved into a canal side cottage but throughout childhood his daily life remained centred around boats and the water resulting in a way of life and passion for boats becoming a professional career. At first this was with the restoration of various historic craft and the maintenance of leisure craft which was then followed by achieving a university honours degree and diploma as a mature student in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

In the 1980's Michael set up what became a well respected and successful boat repair and maintenance business in the North West of England which also included the operation of the Dry-docks at Worsley, near Manchester, which are thought to be the oldest inland drydocks in the country.

By the mid to late 1990’s the increased demands for formal assessments on the condition of vessels for maintenance scheduling and insurance considerations, combined with the existing engine failure analysis consultancy led to a shift away from the management of a small team of repairers to full time surveying and consultancy. In addition to the traditional roles of surveying and consultancy Michael is often called upon to provide training on some of the technical aspects of the work he carries out and he is a qualified teaching instructor for the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

In addition to working with boats Michael has an interest in several narrow boats and barges jointly owned and operated by his direct family.