If you leave Cape May so that you arrive AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE at Cape May Point, you can get lifted ALL THE WAY to and sometimes through the C&D where the tide will again turn at Chesapeake City ... and then simply ride the opposite tide down the Chesapeake. Timing is very important. The Delaware River is still in flood and that will delay the high tide in your favor as you near the C&D,,,, makes the C&D flow 'backwards' which gives you an extended time to run the canal on a favorable current.
Its best NOT to run the Del. Bay on strong NW or SE blow ... as you 'can' encounter VERY steep 6+ft 'chop'.

Utche's Marina in Cape May ..... clear to enter w/ 6ft. draft. HUG the bulkhead going in.

If there are mild sea state conditions run CLOSE to Cape May point (you can almost spit on the beach) and avoid the hassle and extra time to go 'out and around' the shoals (newer Garmin Chartplotter data has this close-in channel 'right'). Although the flooding from Irene coming down the Del.R. and Del Bay has caused the eastern approaches to the 'close-in' channel AT the point its still 'doable'. If you pass through the 'close-in' channel at slack you wont have problems -- dont run the close in channel in heavy current + heavy swells.

Cohansey River, Del. Bay .... entrance marks are confusing and wrong. Enter VERY CLOSE to the RED, spit on the mark and you should be OK. Lots of current in the Cohansey.

C&D .... be careful at night as ship running lights are easily 'lost' in the bright canal 'side lights'. If you see a lot of 'missing' canal light ... SHIP!
Summit North Marina, C&D ... a good place to 'hang out'/stay
Engineers Cove, Chesapeake City, C&D ... usually shoals in the MIDDLE and eastern side of the entrance, hug the RIGHT/
WEST side going in and stay 'right' all the way in to the anchorage.

Chesapeake .... Lots of bottom change in the N. Bay due to recent mega-flooding. Ship channels are clear but LOTS of debris still floating around:
Bohemia River, ... is filling in, be careful
Cabin John .... 'gone'.
Sassafras R. .... Go all the way in and anchor 'behind' and to the east of "Ordinary Point" ... close to and east of Ordinary Point where there is deep water and the charts have been wrong for decades ..... or on the western shore directly across from ordinary Point.
Still Pond ... not an anchorage for a NW blow although you can 'hide out' at near the entrance to Churn Creek on the WEST shore of StillPond.
Worton Creek ....not an anchorage for a NW or W strong blow .... go all the way inside Worton, pass TWO marinas to port and anchor in the middle 'just after' the second Marina (Handys Point Marina) as far to the west shore as you can. With a strong W/NW the high tide on the EASTERN SHORE of the Northern Ches. will be higher and low tide will be an extra ft. or 2 lower than 'normal'.