Sea anchor?

I like the webbing for the chute rather than rope because it is easier to handle, grip, etc.

scallen, don't be afraid to be different,  .  never stopped mooch! 

Very helpful tips guys! I'll experiment with a couple of your suggestions on calmer days and see what works for me and my craft.

It's interesting...this talk about sea anchors reminds me of Jack London's "Sea Wolf".In the story the protagonist and other sealing skiff crews used canvas or seal skin sea anchors such as this in the same way and it saved their lives.Although the materials have improved over time, I guess sea anchors have been in use by boatmen for hundreds...perhaps thousands of years.

The Sea Wolf is a GREAT book. If you have never read it, I highly recommend getting a copy and blazing through it. I also have it as an audio book (mp3), but it's abridged and there are too many good parts that have been left out.

CHEERS!

My bowline is an elastic cord - pretty much every application for a bowline works better with some 'boing' to it.  I buy 8' pieces of 3/8" bungie and tie a surgeons loop on one end and a brass clip on the other.  Since the sea anchor only fights the wind (unlike a heavy anchor in san pablo bay) you can attach it pretty much anywhere on the kayak and it'll work fine.  I attach the sea anchor directly to the bungie.