The multi-agency search was instigated on Tuesday around 3.15pm following reports a vessel had washed up on Haywards Beach north of Bermagui with no-one on board.

NSW Police Marine Area Command led the search, which also involved, Marine Rescue NSW, SES and VRA volunteers and Surf Life Saving Far South Coast personnel.

Around 2pm Wednesday, December 13, Marine Rescue NSW vessels Bermagui 30 and Narooma 30 returned to base after volunteer crews conducted more than five hours searching for the missing boater.

Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Glenn Sullivan said both Marine Rescue NSW vessels completed multiple legs of a parallel line search between Camel Rock and Bermagui Harbour before being stood down for the day.

"Both crews completed thorough search patterns pushing further seaward after each leg.

"Our volunteers from the Narooma and Bermagui units have displayed total commitment on the water looking for any signs of a missing person.

"Narooma 30 began returning to base at 1.40pm while the crew on board Bermagui 30 completed another sweep of the southern end of the search area before being untasked for the day.

"A volunteer crew will back on board Bermagui 30 tomorrow to resume searching in a revised area.

"Our vessel crews and radio operators from both Marine Rescue Bermagui and Narooma worked seamlessly again today not only with each other but with the entire multi-agency response led by NSW Police Marine Area Command," Inspector Sullivan said.

Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.