Rescuers have widened the search area as they race to find three people missing in a motorboat off Tasmania's northwest coast.
The yellow and white 17-foot Caribbean set off at noon on Monday from Wynyard Boat Ramp for a three- to four-hour trip, and a family member raised the alarm when it did not return on Monday evening.
Those on board are Isaiah Dixon from Wynyard, Thomas Courto from West Ulverstone and Bree-Anna Thomas from the Burnie-Wynyard area.
An air and sea search has been underway all of Monday night and throughout Tuesday, with three planes and a helicopter provided by Ambulance Victoria with support from the Maritime Safety Authority.
Inspector Steve Jones said the search area has been widened to about 1400 sq km, from Devonport to Table Cape.
"Until those persons are found we are just hoping for the best," he told reporters in Devonport on Tuesday.
"My concern is at the moment to deploy all the assets that we possibly can."
The half-cabin boat was equipped with the required safety equipment including flares, radio, EPIRB and flotation devices.
Inspector Jones said Isaiah Dixon has a boat licence and the boat is believed to belong to his father.
There was no hint of suspicious circumstances, he said.
"I believe it to be a group of friends who just went out for a day trip, the weather was nice and they went out for a day trip on the boat," he said.
There has been no signal detected from the trio's mobile phones since about 2.35pm on Monday.
Inspector Jones said he had spoken to their families this morning to brief them on the search efforts.
"It's obviously a difficult time for the family members with their loved ones missing, but we are putting all our efforts into trying to locate these three persons on board safely."
Marker buoys are being used to relay information about currents, wind and temperatures.
Volunteers are also searching for the missing trio, and Inspector Jones urged anyone trying to help to make sure they have the right safety gear and let authorities know when they are on and off the water.
Inspector Jones could not say if the search would continue through Tuesday night, or whether rescuers would resume on Wednesday.
There is a strong wind warning in place for the area on Tuesday, with winds east to southeasterly, ranging 15 knots to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots in the afternoon.
Seas are forecast to range one to two metres, increasing to two to three metres offshore.
