ated ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁his ▁ 4 0 - ft ▁k etch ▁Hum ming bird ▁II . ▁He ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁his ▁wife , ▁K w ail an , ▁and ▁his ▁five - year - old ▁son ▁Pierre . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁Tr in idad ian ▁sail ors ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁circ umn avig ate , ▁Harold ▁and ▁K w ail an ▁were ▁awarded ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁highest ▁honour   – ▁the ▁ ▁Gold ▁Tr inity ▁Cross . ▁ ▁Harold ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Tr in idad , ▁West ▁Ind ies , ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 8 th ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁( d ied ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 ), ▁of ▁parents ▁with ▁a ▁rich ▁mixture ▁of ▁blood ▁in ▁their ▁ve ins   – ▁French , ▁African , ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Amer ind ian ▁( Car ib ). ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁school ▁and ▁began ▁his ▁sail ing ▁career ▁by ▁building ▁d ing h ies , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁taught ▁himself ▁the ▁rud iments ▁of ▁se am ans hip , ▁and ▁reading ▁any ▁book ▁about ▁deep - se a ▁sail ing ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁lay ▁his ▁hands ▁on . ▁Harold ▁La ▁Bor de ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁suitable ▁boat , ▁opt ing ▁to ▁build ▁one ▁himself . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁book , ▁An ▁Ocean ▁to ▁O urs el ves ▁( 1 9 6 2 ), ▁La ▁Bor de ▁tells ▁how ▁he ▁built ▁a ▁ 2 6 - foot ▁k