Woudsend sits in the heart of the Frysk Meren, the chain of inland lakes that makes this corner of the Netherlands one of the best sailing areas in northern Europe. The two large lakes on either side of the village — the Slotermeer to the east and the Heegermeer-Fluessen complex to the west — are connected through the Ee, and skippers passing between them invariably stop in Woudsend for an hour or a night.
Several yards in and around the village hire out open sailing boats, electric sloops, and motor cruisers by the half-day or week. The most picturesque rentals are the traditional botters and skûtsjes — flat-bottomed Frisian sailing barges — which were the working boats of these lakes a century ago and now mostly carry tourists. In late July the village hosts a leg of the SKS Skûtsjesilen, a fortnight of competitive racing in restored historic skûtsjes.