GUANGZHOU, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A fishing boat with at least 13 crew aboard has been missing for a week in waters off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province, authorities said Friday.

The boat, registered in Yangxi County, Yangjiang City, was unable to be located at its anchoring spot in Dongping Port at 3 a.m. on Dec. 16, when other boats in the port that were taking shelter from strong winds received the boat's distress call, Yangxi County marine affairs officials said.

Winds of up to 72 kilometers per hour started blowing on Dec. 15, whipping up five- to six-meter-high waves, the official said.

The family of the boat's owner, Feng Zixing, reported the boat missing on Dec. 17, after private searches failed to find the boat or its crew.

Feng and most of the missing crew are from the county's Lanpao Village.

A search for the boat had found nothing by 7 p.m. Friday.

The 28-meter-long, 5-meter-wide boat was built with steel in 2001. It was equipped with radar and walkie-talkies.