It proved difficult to find a role for them (proposals that they man torpedo boats were rejected by the Royal Navy) and an 1891 report by Vice Admiral George Tryon recommended that the RNAV be disbanded.

The RNAV was "composed of men who had not, as a rule, practical acquaintance with the sea, but who had nautical sympathies and aspirations" and included officers and ratings.

[3] The men of the RNAV were restricted to serving on or near the British coast and could not be employed aloft (in the masts, rigging or smoke stacks) or as stokers (tending the fires in the boiler rooms).

Rank insignia was in wavy gold lace, rather than straight, and topped with a six-pointed star rather than the Royal Navy's curl.

[6] Uniform buttons, sword belts and cap badges were marked with the initials "RNAV" and on officers' epaulettes the lettering "R.N.A.

Other ranks' cap tally bands were marked with a crown and anchor and the letters "RNAV", whereas the navy used ship names.

An 1889 meeting of its senior officers looked at ways of providing useful skills for its members but its proposals were rejected on difficulty and cost grounds.

A suggestion that gunboats, partly manned by the navy, be provided to each brigade for use as training ships was rejected on cost grounds.

A proposal that the RNAV be used to man torpedo boats in wartime was rejected as the navy considered such vessels were involved in some of the most strenuous work of the fleet.

[nb 1][7] In the absence of a Royal Marine reserve the committee suggested that former RNAV members might joint the submarine mining units of the Volunteer Force, but doubted that many would do so.