User blog comment:D2r/Unanswered Questions of Redwall/@comment-1607590-20100128012203

In 'Triss' they also had a good amount of lumber in stock if I remember right, and they had the slaves. In 'High Rhulain' more then 3/4 of the island was covered with trees, and there were also slaves then. As for the building of the ships otters and other seafaring beasts, might have gotten the information, from the shrews, as you know they were great boat builders, and could have designed the ships,