HDG DEV BY MD80 DEPARTING DCA.

Narrative

AT THE GATE IN DCA; THE FO AND I BRIEFED ON THE DCA DEP PROCS AND SET UP THE RADIOS. THE COCKPIT WAS FULL OF MORE THAN THE USUAL DISTRS. THERE WAS AN OVER SALE OF SEATS; QUESTIONS ABOUT AN 'ACM' AND A DISCUSSION WITH THE FUEL MAN ABOUT PAPERWORK. AFTER PUSH AND START WE HAD A SHORT TAXI TO RWY 36. AT THE RWY WE WERE #2; BUT THE TWR SAID WE WOULD BE #1 IF WE COULD TAKE IT ROLLING. I ACCEPTED THE OFFER AND WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST EVEN AS WE BEGAN ROLLING. ON CLB; FOLLOWING THE POTOMAC RIVER; THE FO COMMENTED THAT WE WERE SLIGHTLY E OF THE VOR RADIAL. I THOUGHT THIS NORMAL AS I COULD SEE THE RIVER AND WE SHOULD JOIN THE RADIAL AROUND THE NEXT TURN IN THE RIVER. I LOOKED AT MY VOR AND IT SHOWED THAT I WAS ALMOST A FULL NEEDLE DEFLECTION E AND AT THE SAME TIME I SAW THAT THE B727 THAT WE TOOK OFF BEHIND WAS OFF TO MY L; CONFIRMING THAT I WAS INDEED R OF TRACK. I MADE A 20 DEG L TURN TO COMPENSATE; BUT FELT THAT THIS JUST DIDN'T ADD UP. I THEN SAW THAT THE 318 DEG RADIAL WAS SET IN MY VOR INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT 328 DEG RADIAL. I THEN STARTED A R TURN TO CORRECT BACK AS WE WERE NOT OFF TRACK IN THE FIRST PLACE. AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR SAID THE DREADED WORDS 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND WE WERE NOT FAR OFF TRACK BUT HE WAS NOT AT ALL HAPPY ABOUT IT. I HAD DISOBEYED ONE OF MY OWN CARDINAL RULES BY ALLOWING MYSELF TO GET RUSHED.