AN ACR MLG FLEW OUT OF HOLDING PATTERN AIRSPACE.

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WHILE APCHING PVD VOR TO LAND AT BOS; OTHER ACFT WERE BEING INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED AT PVD. WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A HOLDING CLRNC UNTIL WE INQUIRED TO ZBW; AT APPROX 2 MI FROM PVD. THE CLRNC WAS TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED (234 DEG RADIAL; SW) WINDS WERE APPROX 270 DEGS/78 KTS. AFTER MAKING A 30 DEG BANK 195 DEG TURN; WE WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH ON THE INBOUND COURSE. SUBSEQUENTLY THE WIND BLEW US NE OF THE VOR APPROX 8 MI. TOO MUCH EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON PROGRAMMING THE FMC. AS THE ACFT REACHED THE HOLDING FIX; THE FMC WHICH HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED FOR HOLDING; REVERTED TO THE CTL WHEEL STEERING MODE OF THE AUTOPLT. THE HDG SELECT MODE WAS THEN ENGAGED AND USED TO ENTER THE HOLD. ON THE OUTBOUND LEG; PLT'S ATTN WAS ON REPROGRAMMING THE FMC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 270038: MY FLT DIRECTOR WAS IN THE VOR/ILS MODE AND MY VOR WAS TUNED TO NORWICH VOR. I SET MY COURSE SELECTOR TO THE INBOUND PVD RADIAL; NOT REALIZING THAT MY VOR WAS STILL SET TO NORWICH VOR. THE HOLD WAS SO EASY TO ENTER THAT WE DEVOTED MORE TIME THAN WE SHOULD HAVE TO THE COMPUTER; PA'S; AND A NOSEY JUMP SEAT RIDER WHO WONDERED WHAT WAS GOING ON.