Back and forth we roll, to and fro, over (but certainly not under) the waves we go. Crossing the Drake Passage, now officially recognized as a body of water, is a mariner milestone that is never the same journey twice. Over 200 nautical miles of open ocean are at the mercy of the truly unbridled weather of the Southern Ocean. No mountain ranges stop or slow the winds that travel around the White Continent. Storms build and whip up an impressive sea state that tops out the scale used to measure such things. Winds simply continue in a clockwise rotation as they see fit. There are lulls between these systems, and with the right ship and team, a very pleasant crossing can be had.