A Woman You Should Meet: Elizabeth Ostrander

Elizabeth Ostrander is a hard woman to nail down. As one half of the nautical duo behind Sailing is Sexy (the important half, if we’re being frank), she’s making good on a childhood promise to sail around the world and, lucky for us, she’s documenting it. Somewhere between Hawaii and Bora Bora, Elizabeth also found time to become Playboy’s December 2014 Playmate and cover model. We caught her between a tropical trip and a photo shoot to ask about her exciting life at sea.

Give me a little background on yourself and your career this far.

I’m very adventurous and thrive when in a risky situation. I suppose it’s the Sagittarius in me. My modeling career started while I was in high school, but soon I had the opportunity to travel overseas to model with agencies for long periods of time. While working, I got to walk among colourful foreign streets in all sorts of different countries and my experiences greatly shaped who I am now. I believe that travel is one of the best ways you can learn more about yourself. I recently shot with Playboy and was Miss December 2014 Playmate and cover model. It was a wonderful experience and I’m so thankful to be a part of the Playboy family. Modelling has developed into a more serious hobby than career now because as I get older I’m starting to focus on acting.

Tell us about the trip thus far?

I’m really fearless of the ocean. I grew up surfing like three times a day, so I know the ocean well and had always dreamed of sailing to exotic islands. I moved to San Francisco a few years ago, met my husband who is the owner of the San Francisco Sailing Company and my dreams came true.

We sailed away on our yacht, to Hawaii three days after getting married. That passage took three weeks at sea with no stops. The weather was the worst. We got one day of blue sunny sky and the rest of the time the ocean just screamed. When we got to Hawaii we partied our faces off for like five months. It was the best honeymoon ever.

Then our time was up at the marina and we had to keep moving. So we sailed south, across the equator to Bora Bora. We had one stop along the way in Kiribati which is a very small island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. It was the most incredible place I have ever been. The islanders were incredibly welcoming and the reef was so lush with sea life. Nothing can compare. Bora Bora was remarkable as well; we also enjoyed it.

How far do you go between stops?

So, here’s how it works: six months on the boat, six months on land. It’s hurricane season in the South Pacific right now, which means hell no, we aren’t sailing anywhere. That’s why cruisers, as we are called, do the 6-on-6-off routine. It also gives us a chance to see our family and friends. Later this year, around July, we are going to fly back out to Bora Bora and hop back on the boat. We are going to take our time and sail the Coconut Milk Run, through all the South Pacific islands all the way to Australia. We are SO excited.

What has been the easiest thing to give up while on the water? The hardest?

The easiest thing to give up on the water is caring about much. Life becomes so simple. When we come back to the States and are more involved with what we have going on, we get so caught up and I tend to reminisce about living so simply and caring about so little with boat life. The hardest thing to give up this time around is most definitely going to be my dog. My lab and I are attached at the hip and thankfully my mom is willing to take him when we go sailing this year. In the past the hardest thing to give up was the Internet, but I’m ready to give that up this time around.

You’re on a boat with only a man for company. Has there been anything you had to get used to? 

It sounds absolutely crazy that Erik and I can spend so much time together and in such a small space (our 41ft yacht has two cabins, two baths, a galley, main salon and deck) and still love every moment of our time together. We hardly ever fight at all, and if we do, one of us caves in pretty quick. I almost wish we fought more, just for the good make up sex.

What is your favourite part about being out on the water? Your least favourite?

My favorite part of being on the water is the constant beauty of the ocean, the sounds, the smells, the sunsets. It’s like living in a painting that’s always postcard material. My least favourite thing is never being able to set down anything on a table for too long. Even if we are on a mooring, in a marina there are little waves that will come through and knock your cup off the table.

How do you balance a career with being out on the water?

I don’t take my career all that seriously. I don’t need to bring home the bacon, or make money to support us. So it’s all for fun. My career and work ethic is that if it isn’t fun, I’m not going to do it. I suppose that’s my motto for life! I’d rather be sailing! I’d rather be naked on my yacht in the South Pacific than trying to bust ass in LA! That’s for damn sure!

What do you have coming up in terms of projects?

I really really want Playmate of the Year. I couldn’t be more excited about this if I tried. Since before I shot my Playmate centerfold, my goal with Playboy was to become a Playmate of the Year. So, I encourage all of you to ‘hook a sista’ up,’ go vote for my all-natural DD, sweet blond-redhead, ginger-loving, freckled pirate booty.

What’s something else that you’d like to conquer as you’ve conquered the sea?

Something else I really want to conquer is becoming a Bond Girl. I have always had the biggest girl crush on the Bond Girls. It’s their fearless, gun toting, bold beauty that I admire and look up to. I love the combination of a beautiful women and a badass. When I’m a bit more grounded and in the states more often, I’ll surely go after the next Bond casting.