Maintenance work on the RFA Wave Ruler Fleet Support Tanker A390 at Birkenhead, Merseyside.

I first attempted to gain access to the shipping port at Birkenhead without success. Security levels were understandably high therefore I had to get creative and climb to the top of St.Mary's Church tower (Birkenhead Priory) which is currently under reconstruction. This was the only viable means to get a decent view of the work being done beyond the wall, and to get the images I wanted.
Shipbuilding started at Birkenhead, Merseyside in 1829. An iron works was initially established by William Laird in 1824, whose business eventually became Cammell Laird. Notable vessels built at Birkenhead include HMS Achilles, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Birkenhead, the pioneer submarine Resurgam, HMS Conqueror and thte HMS Prince of Wales. Birkenhead's dock system is part of the Port of Liverpool, operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

The A390 RFA Wave Ruler is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. Recently in 2010, Wave Ruler and the destroyer HMS York were deployed to the Falkland Islands during a period of increased tension between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the former's plans to begin drilling for oil in the seas surrounding the islands. Before the vessel returned to the Caribbean, where she distributed 160 tonnes of fresh water and 32,000 water purification tablets in St. Lucia after the effects of Hurricane Tomas.

The RFA Wave Ruler has been stationed at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead since November 2012 for heavy maintenance before being recommissioned by the RFA later this year.