One of the many skills needed to be an awesome mariner is that of knot tying. I can remember years ago after we had purchased our very first boat ever, but not yet taken in out on the water as a family. Only my husband and his friends had taken it out up to this point. The few days before the planned outing Outdoor Dad and I sat around the dining room table with some rope and tried to figure out how to make a few very basic knots that we would need to know. Thinking back to those evenings, they were fun and it was exciting to think about the adventures that might be in store for us. However, with the benefit of hindsight - the two or three knots we practiced (while they got us through the weekend) were woefully inadequate for living on a sailboat and sailing it around.
We have managed to learn a few more, and can now generally tie the 'correct' knot for the situation. Or at least a knot that another sailor could recognize and be able to untie and not think we were completely clueless. But, we have decided that the kids are not going to suffer from the same fate that we have. And so we have been teaching them a few knots. Outdoor Boy will probably be pretty far ahead of any other Tiger Scouts at a minimum, I would be willing to bet when the time comes.
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