Dubbed the "X-Craft," the catamaran will be nearly the size of a football field and able to travel as fast as 60 knots, or nearly 70 mph.

Nichols Bros. Boat Builders, located in Freeland, was selected as the subcontractor for San Diego-based Titan National Security Solutions to build the boat for $59.9 million, the companies said. Construction of the prototype catamaran will begin in May with completion in August 2004.

It's not the first military catamaran for Nichols Bros., which has built two light catamarans for the Army. But once completed, the Navy's ship, at 265 feet long, with a 73-foot beam, would be both the fastest in the world and the country's largest, the company reported.

At high speeds -- powered by 67,000 horsepower engines -- the catamaran could consume as much as 3,000 gallons of fuel an hour. Normally, however, the catamaran would rely on two diesel engines consuming about 400 gallons an hour.

"The Navy will use it to move between a mother ship and the shore," said Matt Nichols, the company's president.

The ship would also include space for two helicopter-landing pads on deck and a ramp to allow loading and unloading of jeeps and boats.

The company hopes a successful prototype would lead to orders for additional catamarans, but the contract helps the company ensure it has enough work to keep its 350 employees beyond current projects, Nichols said.

"There should be no dip in our 350-person crew," said Nichols, whose company has grown from five years ago when it employed about 125 people. "Employment should stay steady, although I don't plan on hiring anybody."

Currently, the company is working on a steamboat for Alaska Sternwheeler Cruises and a fireboat for the Los Angeles Fire Department.