I’m a firm believer that preparation is everything. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 subsequently reduced the need for maritime travel around Cape Horn, and through the Drake Passage, the notorious site of many shipwrecks and the final resting place of countless sailors lost in its perilous waters. For centuries the captains of sailing ships dreaded the Strait as much as they depended on it. I have personally seen large ships in it. The oceanic route of Drake Passage normally is affected by bad weather, where winds of more than 60 Knots, and waves of 10 to 12 meters height are very common. Many still prefer to use the still dangerous, but more sheltered Strait of Magellan. Tips to Survive the Drake Passage Like A Pro. The distance between the Drake Passage and the northern-most tip of Antarctica is about 500 miles wide. In 1525, Francisco de Hoces from Spain is said to have been somewhere around Cape Horn, which is the explanation for the Spanish name of the Drake Passage: Mar de Hoces. This information mainly deals about inner route of Strait of Magellan. Many still prefer to use the still dangerous, but more sheltered Strait of Magellan. Of course we will never really know for sure if there were other European navigators blown off course and as far to the south as the Cape. The Drake Passage is named for the 16th century privateer (state-sponsored pirate) Sir Francis Drake, who traversed the passage after his ship was accidentally blown far south during an attempt to cross at the Strait of Magellan, a smaller passage between the Pacific and Atlantic located to the north. The answer you want, then, is about 638 miles with a mix of nautical and statute miles. Later visitors to the Strait of Magellan include the English captain and privateer, Sir Francis Drake in 1578 and the British survey vessel, the HMS Adventurer. This incident implied there was an ocean south of South America. I’m a firm believer that preparation is everything. These are some of the things that worked for me. Whatever form that takes for you, do it. Straits of Magellan and the Drake Passage There are certain places on this planet that, as my younger self read and learned about the world from books, sounded just unbelievably exotic to me and are now a particular thrill to experience in person. James Michener’s novel Hawaii uses the Strait as a kind of test of wills. Know what you’re up against and give yourself the tools to make the best of it. Credit: Sven Thatje This applies to the Drake Passage crossing too. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 subsequently reduced the need for maritime travel around Cape Horn, and through the Drake Passage, the notorious site of many shipwrecks and the final resting place of countless sailors lost in its perilous waters. USS Ronald Reagan sailing through the Straits of Magellan in 2004.