Where did the name "Talofa Lee" come from?

The Talofa Lee's name was inspired by a passage from Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World. Joshua Slocum was a Canadian who was the first person to, er, sail alone around the world in the 36 foot "Spray" – but only when he wasn't busy fighting off pirates, surviving cholera and smallpox outbreaks on his ships, or sailing through hurricanes.

(His book is public domain and the text is available via the Internet Archives .)




On the 16th of July, after considerable care and some skill and hard
work, the "Spray" cast anchor at Apia, in the kingdom of Samoa, about
noon. My vessel being moored, I spread an awning, and instead of going
at once on shore I sat under it till late in the evening, listening
with delight to the musical voices of the Samoan men and women.

A canoe coming down the harbor, with three young women in it, rested
her paddles abreast the sloop. One of the fair crew, hailing with the
naive salutation, "Talofa lee" ("Love to you, chief"), asked:

"Schoon come Melike?"

"Love to you," I answered, and said, "Yes."

"You man come 'lone?"

Again I answered, "Yes."

"I don't believe that. You had other mans, and you eat 'em."

At this sally the others laughed. "What for you come long way?" they
asked.

"To hear you ladies sing," I replied.

"Oh, talofa lee!" they all cried, and sang on.

(Image and text from Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum)