Question

did the north or south have a navy during the civil war

Answer 1

They both did, but the south's navy was very small. The north had a better navy compared to the south. One famous battle was Merrimac vs Monitor. Neither ship won, but it was the first ironclad ships to be used in warfare

Answer 2

As Hlee019 said, they both did. Remember that north blocked all south seaports.