I'm currently playing with this patreon version with the latest demo downloaded, and seems -apparently-stable.
Basically, a folder named Venture Seas, and inside one named demo (with the latest demo, duh) and another folder named Patreon (with this Patreon version, double duh).
Now, this Patreon version is older (April) than May's demo (triple duh), but it has the inbetween patch included (or something like that). It makes the game -that's why I said apparently- stable, but you can't play the newer stuff from the demo (like new henchmen).
In any case, the new henchmen don't work properly (not surprisingly), but they fixed the item saving and other things.
I think this somehow fixes the problems on the patreon version.
I don't really know how this April's version works without having the patch, but you can actually save your equipment.
Right when you return to your ship from the dungeon, unequip everything and save.
Basically, have characters always unequipped, and when you're ready for dungeoning, load the gear you want for them along with provisions. Equip them when you're already on the dungeon, it'll avoid some crashing.
Also, rings are an insta-crash. Seems like the rings boosts are charged immediately after equipping (you'll see a spell triggering pop-up) but the game have serious problems processing characters and equipments and in-out dungeoning (propably why items dissapear too). So don't use rings at all.