Topping lift

The Dirk is a rope on a sailing yacht that holds the tree in salvaged sailing in its horizontal position.

The Dirk runs from the bottom of the tree, the Baumnock, on the top of the mast, the mast top, back on deck. When sailing, the tree is held by the sail and Dirk is loose. To avoid that the tree in the mountains of the sail falls on deck, the Baumnock is angedirkt, so lifted the tree by Anholen of Dirk.

The Dirk can also be used to sail trim. On a downwind course will be enforcing the Dirk greater curvature in the sail, and thus perhaps more propulsion achieved.

Smaller Dinghies often have no Dirk; the tree is simply taken out of the gooseneck. Sometimes a tree prop takes over the supporting of the tree with salvaged sails, or the main halyard is used as Dirk. Larger ships can also have two topping lifts per tree.

A special form of Dirk is the uphaul holding the spinnaker up.

• Sailing ship