MD88 FLT CREW HAS A TRACK HDG DEV DURING HOLDING CLRNC.

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APCHING HONIE ARR INTO ATL; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO DBN FOR THE CANUK ARR BECAUSE OF WX IN THE AREA. MULTIPLE ACFT AHEAD OF US WERE BEING TOLD TO HOLD AT SINCA AND DBN WITH LONG EFC TIMES (1 HR OR MORE). WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUEL TO HOLD THAT LONG. SO WE WERE DISCUSSING OPTIONS WITH OUR DISPATCHER FOR DIVERTS WHEN WE WERE GIVEN A HOLDING CLRNC WITH AN EFC THAT WAS 1 1/2 HRS LONG. THAT WAS NOT THE DEV THOUGH; THE DEV OCCURRED BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED AT DBN. I COPIED HOLD AT SINCA AS PUBLISHED SO WHEN WE GOT TO DBN WE CONTINUED TOWARDS SINCA. CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE HOLDING AT DBN AND WE SAID WE COPIED HOLD AT SINCA. (WE WERE APPROX 5-10 MI PAST DBN.) HE (THE CTLR) THEN TOLD US TO MAKE A R TURN BACK TO DBN AND HOLD AS PUBLISHED; WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED WITH. THERE SEEMED TO BE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT AND THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION OUR MISCOM AGAIN. COCKPIT WORKLOAD AT TIME OF COM OF CLRNC WAS VERY HIGH DUE TO WX IN THE AREA; CAPT TALKING WITH DISPATCH; AND COPLT FLYING; TALKING ON RADIO; AND LOADING FMS WITH NEW CLRNC. (NEW ARR AND HOLDING.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 694764: I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO TAKE THE RADIOS WHILE I CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA ACARS TO GET A BETTER AND CLOSER ALTERNATE TO ALLOW US A LONGER HOLD TIME. WHILE TYPING; I HEARD ATC ISSUE OUR HOLDING CLRNC. THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND I WAS CERTAIN OUR HOLDING FIX WAS SINCA.