This is one of the reasons why building the Panama Canal was so important. Having to go through the Drake Passage was not only a long distance it was very dangerous due to the persistent extreme weather:

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Drake_Passage

Searching youtube videos for "Drake passage" is also very interesting to see how strong the waves are when travelling via boat through the passage.

I think that's somewhat normal below 40 degrees south. Lots of open ocean without any significant land masses to slow things down. See more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Forties

lest we forget the Furious Fifties

Is that normal?

Yes. There's no land around 40-50°S, so you basically get in effect a permanent storm over ocean with nothing to break the wind. It's why the weather in Antarctica is so much severer than that in the Arctic.