in the past I have worked crew from the West coast in both the GoM and Atlantic…would think that considerations by companies for transportation costs might be a hindrance right now…some companies want you to live in the same state…recently I was contacted for a job in florida because they had my old florida address but was rejected because I now live in Louisiana…the strategy of being in the right place at the right time still seems to work…it is pretty much “hit or miss” now!!
AB definitely…AB/RFPNW/tankerman/PIC is a good rating to have…if you work NC or oceans it is all about the STCW endorsements as well…be advised there are 1600tn masters out there working as AB!!
patience and persistence…there are jobs out there…they are few and far between…there are a few jobs out there that seem to come re-available every few months…might want to pass on those after finding what they were about!!
BEST LUCK!!