The bodies of three fishermen who disappeared in Port Phillip Bay have been recovered.
Families of brothers Steven and David Do, and their friend Phong Nguyen, had been keeping a vigil at the Altona boat ramp where the men, all aged in their 30s, had set off from on Sunday morning.
They set off about 11am but an alarm was raised when a fisherman spotted their small boat upturned about 4pm.
"We believe they may have got into trouble a fair bit earlier, just through some phone calls that were made," Senior Sergeant Mark O'Rourke told reporters.
Searches on Sunday were unsuccessful.
Police recovered the first body about 10am on Monday about nine kilometres southeast of where the boat was found.
A second body was recovered about midday a further four kilometres south and the third about 3pm one kilometre north of the second.
Police say the bodies have not been formally identified but are believed to be the three fishermen.
The Do family spoke of their shock and sadness at what had happened in a statement to Channel 9.
"Steven was a teacher and sign writer. David was hoping to start a family," they said.
"We hope for the community that this doesn't happen again."
Police say the men were inexperienced fishermen and average swimmers.
It is believed they had only had the boat for about five months.
