Venue Map for Trailer Drivers

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Key Notes

Roughly working from the top of the map to the bottom:

• The SDAFL Launch Site ("Rourke Ramp") IS operational for 2016. Cabs should unhitch from trailers, get a parking pass at the Boathouse, and then proceed to the Elks Lodge Rourke Ramp Parking location. The Shuttle Bus loop will pass this location to bring people back to the Boathouse.
• The Team Tent Area A is closest to the Rourke Bridge. Absolutely DO NOT move cones on the boulevard to squeeze in "just one more trailer" to be close to your camp site. There is room for approximately 3 trailers on the boulevard above the trailer lot, and if the fourth trailer extends into the cone area, it will be towed. This is a traffic pinch point for vehicles coming off the bridge, and it's going to be a major inspection point for the Lowell PD.
• If you "always" use the Trailer Lot when you come to the Textile, consider that this year if you do, you have no guarantee of being able to leave until late Sunday afternoon. We expect/hope that the Trailer Lot will be available on Saturday night by around 4pm, but we'll have to be chasing out cars. If the lot is unavailable and you definitely want a spot in there, put your trailer on the boulevard and plan on bringing it into the lot early on Sunday morning, space permitting.
• Absolutely DO NOT leave your cab with the trailer. Unhitch and take your trailer to the Elks Lodge Rourke Ramp Parking lot on the Varnum loop (white dots).
• Absolutely DO check-in at the registration desk when you arrive to secure a cab pass for your truck. Leave you name and contact information with the folks at the registration desk so we can contact you if necessary.
• Note that we will try to load the Trailer Lot in a particular order. See the Trailer Lot Detail Map below for the order of loading. The current plan is to fit 8 trailers in the Trailer Lot, but we consider spots #5 and #8 to be optional at our discretion. It will depend on how efficiently we can space your trailers with sufficient room for rigging.
• Coaches: The theme for the Trailer Lot should be to (a) remove your boats for rigging, and then (b) either launch for your event or put the boats back on the trailer. In other words, space in the lot will be limited, and boats sitting in slings for extended amounts of time makes matters worse.
• Absolutely DO NOT park in the Handicapped or Vendor spaces immediately below the boathouse. Zones are marked in RED on the map are considered tow zones by the mercenary towing companies we have on call.
• The general rule is "no trailers on grass". Absolutesly DO NOT don't put trailers on the big grassy field down near the finish line, known as the "pavilion". Massachusetts DRC controls this space and also has mercenary towing companies on speed dial.
• Absolutely DO NOT park cabs in the handy parking lot near the pavilion. That lot is reserved for HP, and venue and DCR staff.
• For more information on where to put your truck after unhitching your trailer, visit the Parking page.
• Given all the restrictions named above, it might sound like trailers are a big headache. Actually, there's ample room for all trailers so long as we all act rationally and follow the guidelines and hard rules. If you have a preferred place to locate your trailer, the best advice we can give you is to show up early and not at the last minute. At some point on Sunday morning, your best options will be down near the Beach Launch site - and that's a perfectly good place to set up your team and trailer, but it's not ideal if your team has already located themselves up closer to the boathouse. Work together with your team to plan out your arrival and departure and things can go very smoothly.
• While we expect our signage to be obvious and ubiquitous, always observe local road laws.

Boathouse Trailer Lot Area

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Key Notes

• After the turn off the Rourke Bridge heading toward the boathouse, there will be a line of orange cones to shift vehicle traffic to free up the breakdown lane for trailers. DO NOT rearrange the cones. There is room for 3 forty-foot trailers in the zone. The first trailer in the zone (#21) should pull up to the entrance of the trailer lot but leave sufficient room for other trailers to enter the lot. Keep in mind that those trailers may be making a wide turn from the opposite direction which has a left-turn lane into the lot. We will entertain exactly zero complaints if bows collide when a trailer tries to enter the lot and #21 is in the way.
• The only chance for 4 trailers to occupy this zone is if everyone cooperates, everyone has side loaders, and one or two of the trailers are of the 32' variety carrying only fours.

Boathouse Trailer Lot

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Key Notes

• Position #1 is key in setting the tone for the entire lot. Please make sure to have a Textile Certified Lot Technician (Carl) assist you if you're the first one into the lot. If we get that one correct, then we might be able to fit position #5 while maintaining useful rigging space between trailers.
• Postion #6 should back into position parallel to the road, backed in far enough to maximize space for other trailers but without impeding flow into the lot. Position #7 should be a side loader, otherwise position #8 might not be usable.
• On the boulevard adjacent to the Trailer Lot, we think there is room for 3 long haul trailers, but position #10 may need to be a side loader. We'll make a game day decision based on who shows up.
• Timing: For those of you new to Textile, the Trailer Lot and adjacent boulevard parking in its vicinity usually fill between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday.