When to modernize the navy?

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I've had the game since like 2005, yet in all that time ive never actually bothered with a navy. I've always played more land locked nations. However, this game im playing Italy, which while it hardly necessitates I build a modern navy, for RP purposes and just general security as I expand out colonially, I think I should. I've never actually done it before though, so I dont know when I should bother to actually modernize my navy. Its the early 60's now and I basically have no navy tech and few boats. Is it worth it to invest in navy tech consistently for the next 8~ years and begin to pump out steam ships and such? I mean, how well do navies age in Victoria, am I going to have to undergo a complete overhaul every ten or so years?

 

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You will have to overhaull the navy on a regular basis, which make it a pain to maintain a credible fleet at all times. Here's what I tend to do:

First, be assured that if you go up against the UK, having or not having a fleet is more or less equivalent, as they have hundreds of boats of the most up-to date kind at every second in the game. Find a trading partner and buy navy techs in big lots to make up for you navy deficit. One you have access to steam ships, it's just a matter of having a few ships of a level superior to that of your current enemy. Investing in monitors and ironclads is good if you can have them in the 50/60s, when eveyone still has sailing fleets. Afterwards, thet become quickly useless. If you fall behind in the navy tech tree, just wait for Dreadnought to be available to you and pump out as many as you can. If you produce ships in the meanwhile, be careful to who you fight and what his fleet is composed of. See the ship classes to know what you can destroy and what can destroy you.

Generally speaking, maintaining a navy, is not very useful, but not very costly either.