Sailboats generally have one winch for each sheet (a rope that controls a sail once it is up). There were not enough winches on this boat to have one for each sheet. So, when setting the main staysail (voile d'etai), the sheet had to be brought across the cockpit and put on the (windward side) fore staysail (trinquette) sheet winch. While that worked, it meant there was this taut rope across the cockpit, somewhat getting in the way.

I bought a new pair of sheet winches some time ago, and finally got around to installing one of them last week (I wanted to sail with it for a while to be sure I liked the position before installing the other one on the other side). The winch on the left is a Lewmar 55, the one of the right is a Lewmar 48, and the new one in the center is also a Lewmar 48. I was quite surprised when the new winches arrived to find out that the new Lewmar 48s are significantly smaller than the old Lewmar 48s. So I got some long bolts and built up the base with some white plastic so it would be high enough for the winch handle to clear the top of the other winches.

A sailmaker in Itaparica built the sheet bags that hang below the winches. They help to tidy up the cockpit a great deal.