Cape Horn: the southern passage

Cape Horn is the southern headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the traditional dividing point between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for vessels rounding South America. It was the only sea route between the two oceans before the Panama Canal opened in 1914, and it remains the residual option for vessels that cannot or will not transit the canal.

The full article will cover the meteorology that made the passage notorious, including the westerly wind belt and the sea state produced where the Drake Passage constricts the circumpolar current, the historical sailing routes and their seasonal practice, and the modern position in which the route is effectively absent from scheduled liner service. It will also compare transit times against the Panama Canal, Suez and the Cape of Good Hope.