A lull in the secondhand ferry market has led to two ferries sailing off to the subcontinent for recycling after no trading buyers emerged to extend their lives.

Japanese operator Taiheiyo Ferry KK’s 14,000-gt ropax Kitakami (built 1989) was one of those en route to Alang, India, this week.

The ship, which was making its final voyage under the shortened name of Kita and the flag of the small Pacific island nation of Niue, would probably have found a trading buyer as little as a year ago, ferry industry observers said.