Ratchet Covers

The Frictape Helideck Ratchet Covers are heavy-duty, offshore-rated protective sleeves designed to fit directly over the Frictape stainless steel ratchet assemblies installed around a helideck landing net perimeter. The covers are constructed for the full range of environmental conditions encountered on offshore platforms and marine vessels — including salt spray, UV exposure, temperature cycling, and high humidity. Each cover fits over a mounted ratchet body and stays in place throughout the operational period of the net installation. They are supplied as accessories that can be ordered together with a new net installation or separately for any existing Frictape ratchet setup already in the field.

The covers serve two distinct functional purposes. First, they prevent dirt, salt deposits, debris, and moisture from accumulating inside the ratchet mechanism — contamination that, in severe cases, can directly affect the ratchet’s long-term functionality and reduce its operational service life. Second, the covers act as a physical buffer between the ratchet body and the helideck deck surface, preventing the steel ratchet from scratching or damaging the deck’s surface coating during installation, tensioning operations, or any movement caused by vibration and vessel motion. Both functions contribute directly to lowering the total maintenance cost of the helideck net system over its service life.

Frictape Helideck Ratchet Covers are used on offshore oil and gas platforms, offshore wind installation vessels, naval vessels, megayachts, and onshore helipads — wherever Frictape ratchet assemblies are installed as part of a landing net tensioning system. They are particularly important in high-contamination environments where salt buildup and debris accumulation around deck fittings is a recurring maintenance issue.

Leader Infra supplies these offshore-rated ratchet covers as part of a complete helideck net accessory package — protecting ratchet mechanisms from contamination-related failure and preserving helideck surface integrity across the full operational lifespan of every net installation.

FAQ — Do ratchet covers need to be removed during net tensioning or inspection? Yes. Covers should be removed to allow proper wrench access to the ratchet mechanism during installation tensioning and routine CAP 437 inspection checks. After tensioning or inspection is complete, covers are refitted over each ratchet to restore protection against contamination and surface contact damage.