My
experience is in the
USA and with smaller
boats than your Fantasia.
I think
insurance companies in the US are crooks in cahoots with politicians, but your
experience in
Canada disappoints me - I always envisioned Canadians to be more fair and reasonable than us Yanks. I can't think of a justification for requiring a
survey for liability
insurance. The probability of my
boat harming another is far greater due to my error or negligence than the chance of my bare pole being toppled due to a
rigging failure that a
surveyor might have detected.
After reading your post, I triple-emphasize that a perspective
boat owner should have an insurance quote before
buying the boat. And I'll add that the buyer should have a
survey done before finalizing the deal.