Graduation day: Note the load of sea grapes and other fouling on the line as one group of test panels emerges to wave in a fresh breeze.

We reported in the August 1, 2003 issue on the phasing out of tributyltin (TBT) as the biocide of choice for antifouling paints. While this was a great move for the environment, it posed a particular challenge for paint manufacturers designing products for use on metals: how best to protect underwater metal structures from organic fouling while avoiding destructive galvanic interaction between the submerged metals and the most common copper-based replacements for TBT.

As sailors, we're concerned, or should be, about long-term environmental issues, but we also need to know what kind of performance we can expect for the coming season from the first post-TBT offerings of various manufacturers. We set…