etch ▁Hum ming ▁Bird . ▁Harold ▁and ▁K w ail an , ▁who ▁were ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁made ▁their ▁ma iden ▁voyage ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 6 - foot ▁vessel , ▁Hum ming ▁Bird , ▁to ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁friend , ▁Buck ▁W ong ▁Ch ong . ▁ ▁The ▁Hum ming ▁Bird ▁was ▁subsequently ▁sold , ▁and ▁says ▁Harold ▁" is ▁somewhere ▁in ▁Europe ." ▁ ▁The ▁La ▁B ord es , ▁always ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁team , ▁took ▁jobs ▁at ▁an ▁Out ward ▁B ound ▁school ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁after ▁the ▁voyage , ▁but ▁the ▁call ▁of ▁the ▁sea ▁was ▁too ▁strong ▁for ▁the ▁young ▁couple ▁and ▁they ▁returned ▁to ▁Tr in idad ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁when ▁they ▁started ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁ 4 0 - foot ▁k etch ▁Hum ming ▁Bird ▁II . ▁Their ▁first - born ▁son , ▁Pierre , ▁arrived ▁while ▁work ▁was ▁in ▁progress . ▁ ▁The ▁boat ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁three ▁years ▁and , ▁after ▁char ter ing ▁her ▁out ▁to ▁Americans ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁raise ▁sufficient ▁funds , ▁the ▁family ▁set ▁out ▁on ▁ 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁on ▁the , ▁now ▁historic , ▁voyage ▁that ▁took ▁them ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁Harold ▁and ▁K w ail an ▁were ▁both ▁awarded ▁their ▁nation ' s ▁highest ▁award , ▁the ▁Tr inity ▁Cross ▁for ▁their