"AC Black Flag Resynced Ship Resources: How to Get Cloth, Metal & Wood Fast"

AC Black Flag Resynced ship resources — farming cloth, metal, and wood on the high seas

To upgrade the Jackdaw to maximum combat readiness (Jackdaw Upgrades Guide), you need thousands of units of Cloth, Metal, and Wood.

One of the most frequent questions from players is: "Why is there no Cloth or Metal for sale at the Harbormaster?"

This guide clarifies how the remake's economy works, the best shipping lanes to farm each material, and how to fast-track your Harpoon Upgrades.

Why Can't You Buy Cloth or Metal at the Harbormaster?

⚠️ Core Game Rule: Unlike Reales and ammunition, Cloth and Metal CANNOT be purchased from Harbourmasters. They are strictly designated as Plunder & Conquest Resources.

Harbourmasters only sell ship upgrade installations and ammunition restocks. To obtain raw crafting materials, you must:

Plunder merchant and military convoys at sea using your Spyglass.
Raid coastal Warehouses and Plantations.
Capture Naval Forts (Fort Assaults Guide).

Resource Farming Efficiency Matrix

Resource	Primary Use	Where to Farm (Highest Yield)	Target Ship Type	Average Yield per Boarding
Cloth	Sail upgrades, Crew Quarters, Storage	Northern Seas (Nassau / Eleuthera)	Spanish Merchant Brigs & Schooners	50 – 100 Cloth
Metal	Cannons, Mortars, Hull Armor, Swivels	Southern Seas (Navassa / Serranilla)	Royal Navy Frigates & Man-o-Wars	80 – 150 Metal
Wood	Hull Armor, Ram, Ship Structures	Central Seas (Cruz / Jagua)	Spanish Merchant Convoys	60 – 120 Wood
Sugar & Rum	Pure Cash (Sell for Reales)	All Regions (Warehouses & Convoys)	Merchant Galleons	1,500 – 4,000 Reales

1. How to Farm Cloth Fast (500+ Cloth per Hour)

Cloth is required for all Crew Quarters and Sail upgrades, but military ships rarely carry it.

flowchart LR
    A[Fast Travel to Eleuthera Fort] --> B[Scan Trade Lane with Spyglass]
    B --> C[Locate Spanish Merchant Brig carrying 80+ Cloth]
    C --> D[Disable Sails with Chain Shot]
    D --> E[Board Ship & Loot Cargo]
    E --> F["⚓ +100 Cloth Added to Cargo"]

The Eleuthera – Cat Island Trade Lane

Fast travel to Eleuthera Fort (726, 783) or Cat Island (742, 695).
Spanish merchant brigs spawn continuously along the northern trade lane.
Equip your Spyglass to inspect cargo before firing. Only attack ships displaying the White Cloth Icon.
Board rather than sink: Sinking a ship destroys 50% of the cargo. Boarding guarantees 100% of the cargo.

2. How to Farm Metal Fast (800+ Metal per Hour)

Metal is the single most valuable resource in the game, required for all high-tier Heavy Shot, Mortar, and Broadside Cannon upgrades.

The Serranilla – Navassa Military Corridor

Sail into the southern waters between Fort Serranilla (347, 140) and Fort Navassa (720, 219).
Level 38 Spanish Frigates and Level 49 British Man-o-Wars roam these deep waters, frequently carrying 100 to 180 units of Metal.
The Mortar Ambush Strategy:
- Fire one Mortar volley from 450m to stagger the convoy escort.
- Close in, unleash Heated Shot broadsides into the flagship, and board immediately.

3. Warehouse Raid Rotation (Sugar & Cloth Stockpiles)

All 9 Caribbean Warehouses reset every 2 hours of real-time gameplay:

Raid Havana (205, 600), Matanzas (333, 650), and Cat Island (742, 695) in a single 15-minute loop.
Each warehouse yields 100+ Cloth, 200+ Sugar, and 2,500 Reales.
See our full 9-Warehouse Farming Guide.

4. Harpoon Upgrades & Whale Hunting (PC / Console)

Many players report difficulty harpooning Great White Sharks and White Whales due to un-upgraded rowboats.

Harpoon Upgrade Priority Order:

Harpoon Damage I & II: Increases spear impact damage by 100%, taking down Hammerheads in 3 throws instead of 6.
Harpoon Storage: Increases spear capacity from 15 to 30 harpoons (prevents running out of ammo mid-hunt).
Rowboat Armor: Prevents the target beast from destroying your dory when charging.

Where to Buy Harpoon Upgrades:

Speak to any Harbourmaster at major docks. Navigate to Jackdaw Upgrades → Harpooning Tab.
Cost: ~6,500 Reales and 80 Wood for all tiers combined.