Ratchets

The Frictape Helideck Ratchet is a wrench-operated tensioning device built entirely from stainless steel components, designed to secure helideck landing nets to correct operational tension. The assembly includes a stainless steel ratchet body paired with a 2-tonne hot-dip galvanized shackle, referenced under item number 7005-103 SS. Multiple configuration options are available to suit varying helideck structures and mounting point arrangements. Every part in the assembly — body, axle, pawl, and mechanism — is stainless steel, providing consistent corrosion resistance across the entire unit. The system is designed specifically for the load and access conditions found on offshore helidecks.

The wrench-operated mechanism allows controlled, incremental tensioning of tiedown straps without over-tightening, maintaining the correct net tension across the full perimeter of the landing net. The stainless steel build resists saltwater corrosion, humidity, and the temperature cycling typical of offshore marine environments. Optional heavy-duty ratchet covers are available separately to protect the mechanism from dirt buildup that could affect long-term functionality, and to prevent the ratchet body from scratching the helideck surface during operation or movement.

The Frictape Helideck Ratchet is used on offshore oil and gas platforms, offshore wind installation vessels, military ships, and megayacht helidecks — anywhere a Frictape landing net is installed and tiedown tension must be set and maintained. It connects the tiedown strap loop to the helideck’s structural mounting point, with the ratchet applying and locking tension at each fixing position around the net perimeter. Replacement units are available for any existing installation where a ratchet has worn or failed.

Leader Infra supplies this offshore-rated stainless steel ratchet assembly as part of a complete helideck net tensioning solution — ensuring that every mounting point around the landing net perimeter holds the correct load, in salt-spray conditions, across the full operational life of the installation.

FAQ — Why must helideck landing net ratchets be wrench-operated rather than hand-tightened? Wrench operation allows a controlled, measurable amount of torque to be applied at each tiedown point, ensuring the net reaches the correct tension uniformly around the perimeter. Hand tightening cannot deliver consistent or verifiable tension, which risks uneven net loading — reducing the net’s ability to prevent helicopter movement on deck during landing or in adverse weather conditions.