That all ended tragically and abruptly one day in December 2001, when the 53-year-old Blake was shot to death while trying to defend his crew from pirates near Macapa, a city along Brazil's Amazon River. By then, he was the United Nations goodwill ambassador for its environmental program, and was on a research mission. "Our aim is to begin to understand the reasons why we must all start appreciating what we have before it is too late," Blake wrote in his final journal entry on that fateful day. "We want to restart people caring for the environment as it must be cared for. We want to make a difference."

That mission continues. The aluminium yacht once known as Seamaster – the research vessel on which he died – will be returning to Blake's home country of New Zealand for the first time. With it comes a fascinating history and proud legacy that continues today, as the yacht is in the middle of a two-year research expedition on coral reefs.

Originally, the boat with its aluminium hull and metal decks belonged to Dr. Jean-Louis Etienne, the first man to reach the North Pole on a solo journey and a French adventurer who crossed Antarctica with a dog sled team. It got a makeover, including reinforcements that would allow it to break through ice, and Omega as a corporate sponsor – hence, the name after the watch. The Seamaster was then destined for a five-year exploration of climate change, pollution, and the poor stewardship contributing to risks at the world's most threatened marine locations. Blake died during that trip, and the boat was eventually sold.

Yet Blake's widow was deliberate in deciding who could buy the boat, and it went to an owner in Paris who also cared deeply about environment and adventure. Renamed Tara, the former Blake yacht continued its travels and is currently on its "Tara Pacific" mission, the 11^th since new owners took the helm.

In April 2017, for example, the Tara team participated in international research led by Spanish scientists that looked at plastic pollution and ocean currents that transport debris to the Arctic Ocean – a place where it becomes trapped, although just a tiny percentage of it has originated there. It's part of the Blake scientific legacy that Tara advances for a new generation of mariners and researchers.

"There is so much history on this boat - the memory of Peter, and before that the French explorer Etienne. People can feel it when they walk on board," says owner Romain Trouble in a recent interview.

Yet the 36-meter aluminium boat has never returned home to New Zealand, where Blake is considered a hero, and the country eagerly anticipates its arrival. The Tara is scheduled to arrive in Auckland on July 1, and will stay through July 9 at the Anz Viaduct Events Centre. There, the Sir Peter Blake Trust of New Zealand and France's Tara Expeditions will jointly host free events to celebrate the long-awaited return of what was once known as the Seamaster, to the waters she and Blake left from so many years ago.