Drake Passage: The 'most dreaded bit of ocean on the globe' — where waves reach up to 80 feet

We are 7 hours into our Drake Passage, and it’s getting interesting. We waited about 22 hours at the end of Beagle Canal for a strong system to pass, but the window before the next storm is incredibly thin. Encountering 6 meter waves now, about 20 foot swells. But it seems like the waves have turned, now we have a more following sea than our first 4 hours. It’s too dangerous to go outside on the deck, we’ve hung wood coverings over the windows and all portholes are locked down with metal plates.