A Dehumidifier is the crew member that dries your cupboards and airs your sails after a wet day. You wont be embarrassed with the moldy boat smell when bring friends aboard and you wont have to worry as much about the stitching of your sails degrading.
A household Dehumidifier that can remove at least 11L per day is sufficient for the Saturday sailor or occasional usage sailor, however the boat should have access to mains power and units that have continuous drain are recommended. If mains power is not accessible a desiccant dehumidifier can be use, but this is not as effective. Be sure not to have the setting on too dry for wooden boats especially ones with corking, as this will dry up the hull un-naturally and could cause more harm than good.
When using the dehumidifying unit, be sure to close all hatches for the most effective use, it is not an air-conditioner so there is no need to allow for ventilation. There are 2 types of dehumidifiers; evaporative and desiccant. Evaporative relies on a refrigerant that condenses the moisture in the air, almost opposite to a fridge. The desiccant dehumidifier is a silica surface which chemical attracts the water molecule to the surface; this requires no energy input but has a finite lifespan. An evaporative unit is the most common method for keeping dry.