Preparation

• ActiveCaptain integration requires Coastal Explorer 2011. If you are running Coastal Explorer 2009 or earlier, click here to upgrade.
• If you already have Coastal Explorer 2011, make sure you have the latest version. Some early versions had a problem that prevented it from updating itself automatically. Your version number can be found at the top of the window displayed by clicking on the main menu and choosing "Licensing and Add-ons..." If your version number is 3.0.11069.xxxx or later, Coastal Explorer will be able to update your software automatically. If your version number is below 3.0.11069.xxxx, download and install the topmost update from here.
• Be sure your computer has a properly functioning internet connection.
• Be sure you have an account with ActiveCaptain. You do this from the ActiveCaptain website. If you're doing this now, be sure to to verify your account via the e-mail ActiveCaptain sends you.
• Be sure you are in Planning Mode.

Steps

1. From Coastal Explorer's main menu, choosing "Licensing and Add-ons..."
2. From the Licensing and Add-ons window, choosing "Store" from the tabs at the top.
3. Click on the choice titled "Coastal Explorer Guidebooks"
4. Choose the ActiveCaptain Add-on from the list, then click on "Get this for free"
5. Coastal Explorer will download, then install, the ActiveCaptain Add-on. Once this is done, it will prompt you to enter your ActiveCaptain e-mail and password.

Once you've performed the last step, Coastal Explorer will perform a Synchronization. This will download the ActiveCaptain data which, depending on the speed of your internet connection, may take quite a while, since it's downloading the entire ActiveCaptain database. Once this first Sync is done, subsequent Syncs should be faster since it only needs to download newer data.

Enjoy!