The Drake Passage is between Cape Horn at the tip of South America and outer islands along the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The waters, here, are the rougheset in the world. There is no landmass to slow the current or the winds. It continues to circle the globe at this latitude increasing speed as it goes. The open space for the current to flow through is constricted by the relatively small space between the South American and Antarctic continents. Hence, the reputation for rough crossings of the Drake Passage.