The family of dad of two who has been missing at sea for more than a month say they just want him home so they can start to grieve.
Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and and Carl McGrath, 34 disappeared off the Conwy coast on January 27.
Ross, a dad-of-two, had gone out aboard the Nicola Faith which failed to return to port in Conwy after a routine fishing trip.
The incident sparked a major rescue operation led by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch but nothing has been found so far.
Now Ross's brother James Ballantine who lives in Liverpool, has told the ECHO he is baffled by the circumstances surrounding his brother's disappearance.
James, 31, said: "The Nicola Faith just had a full refurbishment and Carl was an experience skipper. The boat only went out a few miles to sea and could often be seen from the shore.
"The weather conditions that day were routine. The sea swell was normal although there was a bit of rain and a breeze later in the day.
"Like all fishing boats of its type the Nicola Faith had a GPS but we have been told that it stopped working at some point on the evening of the 27th and cannot be found. "
James said there could potentially be a development in the search for the men.
He said: "We understand a life raft has been found in Scotland but we are waiting for confirmation that it belonged to the Nicola Faith."
Speaking of his brother, James added: "He loved his two boys aged 11 and 12 and spent most of his free time with them. He also loved a big night out in Liverpool.
"My brother was a fan of Mexican food so we often book a table at a good restaurant in the city centre. He loved his spicy food.
"Ross would often come to Liverpool to stay with his sister Lucy in lived in Woolton."
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James explained that his family were hopeful that marine recovery specialist David Mearn might be able to help.
He said: "Yes David has agreed to work for free but we need to cover his costs. So far we have raised around £25,000 but I think we need around £40,000 to put David and his crew in the water.
"We just want the boys home so we can grieve."
You can view the appeal and donate here.
