When I first went into the Navy I got assigned to a carrier (USS Oriskany CVA 34), you know one of those big targets. Well there was no place for a torpedoman, so the stuck me into a deck gang - you know those Boatswain's mates. In my short time there I learned a lot about marlinespike. It's come in handy sine then. I can still tie a wide variety of knots including a Mondey's Fist.
I've seen many sites that show you how to tie knots, but this one is pretty good. They show you each knot in animation which you can step through slow. Enjoy
http://www.animatedknots.com/
