Is the NA ocean the worst one in winter?

[TheThunderbird]

At present, there are huge and persistent low pressures and fronts east of Greenland.

Windyty shows winds in the 50+kn range, with waves of 40' and more.
The Gulf is an enormous heat pump pushing energy up to higher lats, meeting with arctic wind and creating vortices and much turbulence.

I have the belief that this is the worst ocean to cross (on purpose, l do avoid saying "to sail").

The fetch is quite wide, and the wave trains may cross each other due to the moving fronts, creating, so l deem, an incredibly crossed sea state.
In the southern pacific, waves are reportedly much more distant, up to 400m (1200') from each other, and F9 is needed to break the wave's crests.

My question is: who is venturing out there in the cold season? I guess just warships, a few oceanic fishing boats, and what else? I think there is no trading routing at those lats.

Is there any historical record of leisure vessels experiencing those conditions ?
Is there any old salt who serviced on large ships out there?

This is out of sheer curiosity, no relation to any sailing project. I think that present conditions would be suicidal even to the best crew and ship.