A man who sparked the state's largest maritime search earlier this month is missing again after he sent a distress call on Tuesday morning, saying his boat was taking on water near Granite Island.

Tony Higgins, 57, made the distress call just after 5am.

SA Police say it is the same vessel, called the Margrel, that was missing for more than four days after Mr Higgins and his friend Derek Robinson, 48, vanished off the Eyre Peninsula coast.

A police helicopter, water operations unit and sea rescue volunteers are now searching around Granite Island for Mr Higgins.

The state's largest maritime search was launched to find them when the two men went missing earlier this month, but was called off on the fourth day.

Just hours later, the two men arrived near Salt Creek on the Coorong and claimed they had no clue people were searching for them.

Mr Higgins was fined $1000 for having insufficient safety equipment and no operator's licence.

The vessel had an out-of-date EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and out-of-date flares, and police said Mr Higgins did not hold an appropriate recreational boat licence.

The man found himself in more trouble over the weekend when he was caught by a low tide and became temporarily stranded while trying to dock at Victor Harbor.

gabriel.polychronis@news.com.au

Originally published as 'Lost' boatie Tony Higgins missing … again