The Humming Bird II, also known as La Borde Sailboat, currently lives at the Museum of the City of Port of Spain (Fort San Andres) at South Quay, Port of Spain. However, before its life as monument, the Humming Bird II created history by being the first local vessel known to travel the globe. Its builder and captain, Harold La Borde, along with his first mate and wife, Kwailan, circumnavigated the globe in 1969.

Harold La Borde had a passion for sailing and for the sea at a young age. He began teaching himself the basics and rules of seafaring, and by building his first dinghy, an 11-foot boat called Lark, followed by a snipe-class dingy, Whip, and rebel class dinghy, Revenge, which took him on his first open-sea voyage to Grenada. La Borde also had experience in cartography and as a geological draughtsman at the Dominion Oil Company. His wife, Kwailan, was also a former geological secretary at the same company.

Before their circumnavigation, the La Borde’s (along with friend Buck Wong Chong) had experience traversing the ocean crossing the Northern Atlantic to England from Trinidad around 1960. For this journey, he sailed the 26-foot ketch dubbed Hummingbird, which he built himself using home-built marine plywood. Even more impressive was that this travel was accomplished without a navigational system instead utilising rudimentary nautical maps and basic instruments to track the position of stars at night.

In 1961, Harold La Borde began to construct the 40-foot plywood ketch, Humming Bird II which took 3 years to complete. During this time, their first-born son, Pierre, was born. Before the La Borde’s could carry through with their plans to travel the world aboard this vessel, the couple needed funding for their adventure. Thus, Hummingbird II was chartered out to some Americans for a further 3 years. Finally, on 2nd February 1969, the La Borde’s, including 5-year-old son Pierre, embarked on their sea odyssey.

The La Borde’s returned home in 1973 having completed their world tour as a family, the first to have done so from Trinidad and Tobago. For this feat, both Harold and Kwailan La Borde were awarded the Trinity Cross, the nation’s highest honour, that year. Their achievements have also been recognised by sailing communities around the globe including their induction into a prestigious and exclusive international brotherhood.

Although the journey aboard the Humming Bird II is most lauded, the La Borde’s continued their ocean adventures in the years after that. They would circumnavigate the world again, this time in the opposite direction, between 1984 and 1986 aboard Humming Bird III. During this period, their second son, Andre, was born in Auckland, New. Zealand. Further, in 1992, the La Borde’s would sail across the Atlantic aboard the Humming Bird III as ambassadors for Trinidad and Tobago to hand over the national flag to the country’s team at the Barcelona Olympic Games.

The Humming Bird II was purchased by the Trinidad and Tobago Government in 1973, and can be seen in the Museum of the City of Port of Spain, but not many are aware of its great past. Harold La Borde himself lamented that the vessel and its history are widely unacknowledged. With greater historical exposure citizens could become inspired by the great adventures that were had aboard the Humming Bird II.

Other Known Name: At the City of Port of Spain Museum

Address: South Quay

Town/City: Port of Spain

Region: Port of Spain

Site Type: Cultural Heritage

Ownership: Public

Public Accessibility: Full Access

Cultural Community: French

Site Features: Other Landmarks