My grandfather, Hjalmar Nilson Grimstad, was a merchant seaman or 'merchant marine' for many years. During the early 1930's he worked for the Department of Commerce, particularly the Bureau of Navigation and Shipping Service. As a sailor on various freight ships, he had the opportunity to sail to Panama and the West coast of South America. He may have been as far as Argentina. After each voyage, he was 'discharged' from service. Through 1929 to 1932 he was discharged in Baltimore and New York, and then later in 1933 in Boston, where he ended up settling and getting married. 
He kept records of the various ships he sailed on. Interestingly, one of the ships he sailed was called the S.S. Carolyn, and it was the only ship I could find a picture of! Unfortunately, this ship was later utilized during W.W. II and was torpedoed and sunk in 1945.
click on documents for closer view
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