This is the third article in a series on the new Coastal Explorer 2010. If you are just joining us, be sure to read the first article first!

Coastal Explorer has always had features that helped you keep things up to date by using an Internet connection. At first it was just program updates, then we added the "download charts" feature to help you use the NOAA websites and keep your charts up to date, then we added the semi-automatic chart downloaded, and community guide book, and blogging features that each provide their own way of getting updated, or syncing.

With Coastal Explorer 2010, we have combined all of these features into one "sync" button that appears on the Home toolbar as well as a few others. This button will perform several steps:

• Make sure Coastal Explorer is up to date
• Make sure any add-on modules are up to date
• Update the charts you subscribe to
• Send any ship’s log or guide book entries you’ve created to the Coastal Explorer Network
• Update your ship’s log, guide book, and vessel registry with any entries made on other computers

Coastal Explorer 2010 can also be configured to sync automatically whenever you start the program, and you can decide if you always want Coastal Explorer to download updates when they are found, or if you only want to be informed of the updates so you can decide when to download them.

It has never been this easy to keep your navigation information up to date!