Woodchip cargos drifting offshore without buyers

Just in via the bush telegraph, more on woodchip sales downturnLast week there were TWO woodchip carriers moored just off the south head of Twofold Bay (site of chipmill) for several days before one departed without loading any chips. The other is still there and has not loaded any chips. The talk around Eden was that as many as FIVE chip carriers might be expected there, all at once. The reason is: it is cheaper to park a boat there (avoiding port fees) than sail around aimlessly hoping that someone will buy some woodchips needing shipping. It was not unusual in happier times for the woodchipping industry for spot sales of chips to be negotiated very rapidly by carriers on the run in similar circumstances, almost like flagging down a taxi, only this time there are no customers wanting to flag them down.