First, we have stopped and dropped the hook in the Bohemia coming back from Newport, RI to our home port of Annapolis. We draw 7'4" +/- so we stayed pretty much in the middle of the mouth off of the shipping lane from the Upper Bay to the C&D canal. Unles you had a thunderstorm, you really are in a pretty good place to hang out and get going at your will.

Secondly, the light pattern is confusing approaching or leaving the C&D canal's west end. There are ranges, turns, etc. which can be confusing if you aren't paying attention. A chart plotter in the cockpit with a route plugged in makes it a lot easier.

Thirdly. Other than that, transiting the C&D canal is a piece of cake as long as you are okay with a getting to the side and letting a freighter pass you in a channel. (It's pretty deep within 15' or so from the edge of the canal for your purposes. The eastern side of the C&D is easy to enter and leave at any hour of the day or night. It's well lighted and wide. Just don't approach the entrance and get "trapped" by the jetty. You can anchor just below the east entrance on the western side out of the busy Delaware Canal traffic lanes, if you want.

Fourth, the Delaware Bay is a very busy shipping channel. You really don't want to be fighting the tide, especially in the upper areas near the C&D entrance. The shipping traffic will almost always be with the tide. You have plenty of room if you stay to the side. IF YOU GET OUTSIDE THE general channel there are a number of hazzards (unlighted buoys, toggled ell pots, sand bars, etc. We've transitted this at night, if you pay attention, look behind you and ahead, have a chart plotter (hopefully and AIS, etc) it really is pretty easy. If you don't stay in the channed, or right next to it, you can get in trouble at night, and even in the day.

Fifth, in August, the days are long. You can start just after dawn and go until after 8:00 PM with good light. (Assuming no thunderstorms ;^))).

Sixth, there town which is up the Cohancy River a little bit down the Delaware Bay from the C&D canal. It had a marina, place to eat ashore, etc. Other than that, stopping along the Delaware Bay is not such a wonderful experience.

The C&D to Cape May or the Harbor of Refuge is about 50 nautical miles. I hope that you don't want to make the Harbor of Refuge your termination of a trip -- it's aptly named, it's wide open, it's not attractive, AND it really is only a place to bail out and "crash". Cape May is a different story, but I'd arrive during the daylight.

If you're coming from Annapolis I would go through the C&D canal and get tot he eastern end. Then, you can pick a time to head down the Delaware Bay. Getting up and through the C&D Canal is best with the current, but certainly not against it. On the August 1, 2014 - at the western entrance to the canal, you have a slack tide about
8:00 AM through about 1:00 PM. Unfortunately it really doesn't get to the Delaware Bay with favorable tides to head south.

I think you really are going to want to break this into three days unless you want to spend a long days. Even through the distance is about 100-110 nm you have to deal over 60% of it being tide sensitive -- and the tides not working for an easy eastbound/south bound trim through the C&D / Delaware portions. The trip north from Annapolis is pretty favorable for a comfortable early departure to get to the Bohemia in time for an decent dinner. Then I'd go to through the Canal and stop at the Cohancy on day 2. Finally, I'd leave from there to Cape May.

Coming back you have better situations if you were into night sailing. The 7th of August, The interface with the C&D can work better to flush down and out into the Chesapeake. The favorable tide from Cape May up the Bay would lead me to leave in the late morning, early afternoon. i'd suggest planning on arriving in Chesapeake City for a late dinner. Then you're essentially on the way home the next morning. You would get a lift through and down the bay to get you home. By the way, we've come through the C&D in the late evening early morning only to find some power boaters leaving bars to roar home (or wherever), it would appear that Chesapeake City has a seasonal late night activity level that's pretty unusual for the upper Eastern Shore.