Friend taught me a funny little saying for the bowline. Flip the loop upwards. Take the end of the rope. The rabbit goes out of the hole around the tree and back through the hole. You will never forget how to tie a bowline.
But my rabbit is dyslexic (and can't spell either). I found just tying the knot over and over you finally get it right. The bowline is real handy for most situations if you need to get it undone easily. A hand full of knots can get you through most situations. Square knot, right over left, left over right does it. If you do it wrong it becomes a granny knot...
Clayton
Lots of memories from Boy Scouts as a patrol leader trying to teach the other guys how to tie a bowline. I use the rabbit method, but for some reason some people get so into the rabbit and hole and such that they just can't picture the mechanics of the knot. Very funny times seeing people repeatedly reciting "the rabbit comes out of the hole..." only to end up with nothing useful and starting over again.
I tried to show a powerboat friend how to tie one as I was helping him prepare his boat for Isabel. He never did tie one on his own, but I still hear jokes about the rabbit coming out of the hole and then heading for the bar.
As for knots I use - figure eight, bowline, two half hitches, clove hitch, cleat hitch, square knot, taut line hitch, will add the midshipmen's tautline hitch to a clove hitch when tying a dockline to a piling in a more permanent fashion. I use two half hitches a lot for places that require a compact knot. I can do the splicing for three-strand ropes, have yet to figure out the modern braided ones...
I used to swear by bungees for securing and wrapping things up, but have become very wary of them - you only have to have the end of one slip out of your hand while wrapping it around something to have a severe eye injury from the flying end hook. Velcro straps and plastic wires ties are much better...
Brian Toss's book The Rigger's Apprentice is a good one for a whole variety of stuff.
