Harbor experiments were conducted for the first time at home and abroad for commercial hot-dip galvanized chains for nearly four years; and the development process of corrosion and biofouling were recorded accordingly. Tests were carried out in July 2013, July 2014, July 2015, and July 2016, respectively. The anchor chains were taken out of the sea water, and the organisms attached to the anchor chains were scraped, classified, identified, and weighed. Then the anchor surfaces were cleaned to check the rust. Finally, the thicknesses of the zinc layers present on the chain surfaces were measured. The whole process was photographed. The results of harbor tests show that the bare steel underwent severe corrosion, and the rust layer was approximately 2~3 mm thick. The corrosion product fell off even upon touching slightly. Corrosion pits of different sizes were observed, with the maximum pit depth being approximately 3 mm. The hot-dip galvanized chain did not show apparent corrosion, and that the corrosion rate of the zinc layer was approximately 10 μm/a in the atmosphere and 20~70 μm/a in the seawater. However, abrasion was observed at the junction of the two chain rings; the corrosion-resistance of the anchor chains in the atmosphere is higher than those in the sea water. The number of fouling organisms present on the surface of the hot-dip galvanized chain was less than that on the non-dip galvanized anchor chains, and the number of fouling organisms on the hot-dip zinc chain increased year by year. The dominant organisms were ascidians, bryozoans, mussels, oysters, and ulva sp., and southern fouling species, such as the Perna viridis was present. The weight of fouling organisms per unit area on the anchor chain was 1257.6 g/m,2, 1454.6 g/m,2, and 21304.0 g/m,2, in 2013~2014, 2014~2015, and 2015~2016, respectively. The increase in the weight of the fouling organisms led to a great increase in the degree of abrasion; this creates a hidden danger of anchor corrosion. This study provided valuable scientific basis for the design and application of marine engineering.