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HomePort Application Discontinued

The HomePort application is discontinued and is no longer being updated or supported. Due to advancements in user data management and cartography improvements, HomePort is no longer capable of properly displaying g3 charts or managing routes, waypoints, and tracks without the risk of user data loss. 

Apple has also made operating system changes which prohibit the function of the HomePort application. If HomePort is no longer able to be launched on the Mac computer, the user data may still be retrieved and transferred to another Garmin program. BaseCamp™ software can create waypoints, routes and tracks or to backup user data but marine charts are not compatible with this program.   

As an alternative, we recommend the  ActiveCaptain app which is available for download through the App Store or the Google Play Store. The free, all-in-one ActiveCaptain app allows you to manage your marine experience from nearly anywhere. It creates a simple yet powerful connection between your compatible mobile device and chartplotter, charts, maps, and the community. ActiveCaptain can also serve as a stand-alone app, without a chartplotter, for purchasing charts, route planning, and ActiveCaptain Community information. ActiveCaptain allows you to use existing BlueChart g2 or g3 charts. For more information about ActiveCaptain, see Getting Started with ActiveCaptain.



Recovering user data after macOS update:

First, download the free Garmin BaseCamp™ software.

      1. Open the Macintosh HD folder

      2. Open the User Folder

      3. Press Command+Shift+Dot to enable hidden files

      4. Open Library->Application Support->Garmin->HomePort->Database->2.3

        • Note that '2.3' is the version of the database.  Your version number may be different

      5. To migrate to BaseCamp™ copy AllData.gdb & FolderData.gfi to Library->Application Support->Garmin->BaseCamp™->Database->2.3

        • Note that the database version number may not be 2.3.  Be sure to use the database version number in the folder tree


The data is backed up and present in BaseCamp™; it can access and manage the data using:   


Garmin ActiveCaptain App on an Apple or Android Smart Device

Steps to export from BaseCamp™ (Mac):

      1. Open the BaseCamp™ Application

      2. Select the information to be exported:

        • My Collection can be selected to export all user data stored

        • A specific list or folder can be selected to export only its contents; for more information, see related content below

        • Highlight specific items in the lower-left pane by clicking a single route/track/waypoint or using CTRL+Click or Shift+Click to highlight multiple items

      3. Click on the File drop-down menu

      4. Highlight Export

      5. Export the file to the desired location

      6. Email the file to an email address accessible on your smart device OR save the file to a micro/SD card

To import the user data to the ActiveCaptain app using the email:

      1. On the smart device, open the ActiveCaptain app so that it is running in the background

      2. Open the email containing the GPX file

      3. Tap on the GPX file attachment

        • Android - Will automatically go to ActiveCaptain and give the Import option

        • iOS - Press on the Share button (the square with up arrow) and choose the ActiveCaptain app, then select Import

To import the user data to the ActiveCaptain app using a compatible chartplotter and micro/SD card, see related content below.


BaseCamp™ for Mac/Windows

Export each list will be used to import into BaseCamp™.  For each list, do the following:

Import into BaseCamp™:

      1. Highlight My Collection

      2. From the Menu bar, select File->New List or New List Folder to recreate the folder structure in HomePort.

      3. Highlight the new list in the left pane

      4. From the Menu bar, select File->Import Into "List Name."

        1. Choose the location where you saved the exported file

        2. Highlight the corresponding file to Import into the selected List

        3. Select the Import button

BaseCamp™ Limitations:

      • Create/edit/manage routes, waypoints, and tracks only

      • Marine charts are not compatible with BaseCamp™

      • Some marine waypoint symbols are not supported


Avoiding issues with waypoints with the same name

To avoid deleting waypoints, use GPX format rather than ADM format.

  • GPX
    • Importing waypoints, tracks, or routes with the same name will result in a number being appended to the end of the name.  Data will not be deleted
  • ADM
    • Importing waypoints, tracks, or routes with the same name will result in deletion of all but one of the items with the same name


Transferring data from HomePort Recommendation

  • Use GPX files when transferring between the chartplotter and HomePort

  • Import the GPX file into HomePort:  Open .gpx files in HomePort

  • Export the GPX file to card:  Exporting User Data from HomePort

  • Replace from Card should be the primary choice for transferring data from the SD card to the chartplotter

  • Merge from Card should only be used when adding a new data set that does not contain existing waypoints.  When using HomePort, Merge from Card operations will create duplicated waypoints, tracks or routes since HomePort doesn’t support the recently added unique identifiers

  • Ensure the correct format is selected on the chartplotter when transferring data to or from the chartplotter

  • Begin using ActiveCaptain to synchronize waypoint data from chartplotter


ActiveCaptain Recommendation

ActiveCaptain supports a maximum of 5000 waypoints, so it is recommended to use multiple files to manage your data by lake or region.  This is done by “Export to GPX File” via the ActiveCaptain User Data menu.


To replace a data set within ActiveCaptain and a chartplotter network:

  • When using ActiveCaptain to replace an entire data set, it is imperative that ActiveCaptain be connected to the Chartplotter system at the time a new dataset is loaded.  This will ensure the data on the Chartplotters is also replaced

  • Ensure your current user data is saved to a card or use ActiveCaptain to Export to GPX file because the next steps will delete this data

  • Select Delete all User Data from Active Captain User Data menu

  • Select Import from GPX file to load in the new data set

  • Again, it is very important that ActiveCaptain is actively communicating via Wi-Fi to the entire Chartplotter network to prevent the possibility for duplicated data