Yeah, there'd be no point to emphasize the helicopter also follow a particular bearing, if it was simply the way to the Freighter. The pilot would just fly back to the Freighter, any which way.

So Ben would have had to tell Michael to go that bearing whether the Freighter was there or not. In order to for Ben to know the Freighter was there, Ben would need another spy within the Freighties organization, either also on the boat or at it's homebase. Which begs the question of why would he need Michael to become a 2nd spy, if he's already got it covered?