The journey around Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America, is one of the most treacherous in the world. The cape has claimed hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors. Not many commercial vessels make the journey today. But for sail-powered yachts, rounding the cape is a big attraction—like climbing Mount Everest.

Cape Horn is named for the home town of the Dutch navigator who described it, in 1616. It’s a small island that features a cliff a quarter of a mile high.

The cape is where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet. The confluence generates strong currents. Those currents are magnified by the contours of the ocean floor, which features many sunken islands.

The region is in the “Furious Fifties”—latitudes of more than 50 degrees south. Strong winds blow from west to east. Those are funneled by the mountains of South America and Antarctica. That creates a wind tunnel effect, so winds almost always blow at gale force. And they frequently top hurricane force, battering any ships that challenge the passage.

In addition, icebergs are common features, and storms bring heavy rain, hail, sleet, and snow. That all combines to make a journey around Cape Horn especially challenging.

The opening of the Panama Canal, in 1914, provided a safe shortcut between the east and west coasts of the Americas. But big tankers, naval vessels, cruise ships, and private yachts still round the cape—one of the most dangerous ocean voyages in the world.