Its strange, but I see very few sailors who know how to tie knots as
most of their cordage already has mechanical terminations or pre-made
loops. Even many vertical cavers who I would really expect to know
their knots have no idea of how to do them as most of them now use
mechanical ascenders and I have seen some horrific means to tie off
rapelling ropes. Do rock climbers even need to know many knots these
days?
My14 yr old son has no interest at all in why one knot works better
than another and I have taught my wife a bowline so many times I have
simply given up. I tend to think that unless you know why one knot is
better, how to tie them makes no diffeence to you.