Boats tend to live in a damp environment, that much is obvious. Even if you keep yours ashore or in your driveway, damp can still present a problem –just as in a car or caravan. An added challenge with boats is that salt water inevitably finds its way down below decks and salt, as we all know, retains moisture.
Mould will grow in damp conditions where the relative humidity is greater than 68%.
Since iron will start to rust when the relative humidity exceeds 50% (80% for steel), the problems caused by damp aren’t limited to mould, mildew and mustiness: electronics, electrics and engines will suffer too, not to mention tools kept on board. This is where a good boat dehumidifier can help. The cost is also a fraction of what you’ll save in damp and mould damage
Here we looked at desiccant, compressor and integrated dehumidifier systems to come up with our pick of what’s on the market.
Meaco DD8L Junior
Price: from £179
Contact: meaco.com
Made in the UK, this desiccant model from Meaco has proved very popular among boat owners because of its light weight (6.4kg/14lb), low noise and efficiency at low temperatures. It has previously come’s dehumidifier group test to identify the best dehumidifer for use on a boat in winter.
