A system for orienting a marine vessel, comprising: a plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) for orienting a marine vessel; a control device having a memory and a programmable circuit, the control device programmed to control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to maintain orientation of a marine vessel in a selected global position; wherein the control device is programmed to calculate a direction of a resultant thrust vector associated with the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) that is necessary to maintain the vessel in the selected global position; wherein the control device is programmed to control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the actual heading with the thrust vector; and comprising a user input device providing the control device with a signal that is representative of an operator desired movement; characterised in that in a first mode the control device controls operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the thrust vector and the actual heading and in a second mode the control device does not control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the thrust vector and the actual heading wherein in both of the first and second operating modes the control device controls operation of the marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to maintain the selected global position of the marine vessel; and wherein the control device is configured to determine, with a global position sensor (101, 102), that the second mode is unable to maintain the global position of the marine vessel and thereafter to automatically activate the first mode, a plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) for orienting a marine vessel; a control device having a memory and a programmable circuit, the control device programmed to control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to maintain orientation of a marine vessel in a selected global position; wherein the control device is programmed to calculate a direction of a resultant thrust vector associated with the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) that is necessary to maintain the vessel in the selected global position; wherein the control device is programmed to control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the actual heading with the thrust vector; and comprising a user input device providing the control device with a signal that is representative of an operator desired movement; characterised in that in a first mode the control device controls operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the thrust vector and the actual heading and in a second mode the control device does not control operation of the plurality of marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to change the actual heading of the marine vessel to align the thrust vector and the actual heading wherein in both of the first and second operating modes the control device controls operation of the marine propulsion devices (27, 28) to maintain the selected global position of the marine vessel; and wherein the control device is configured to determine, with a global position sensor (101, 102), that the second mode is unable to maintain the global position of the marine vessel and thereafter to automatically activate the first mode,