This idea just smacked me upside the head: Ben has a man on the freighter. Who did he send out into the sea on a specific bearing and who's showing back up in the episode
"Meet Kelvin Johnson?
Michael.
It would make sence. Ben sends Michael out in the boat promising "You
will find rescue", the bearing leads him to the freighter, he gets picked up and becomes part of the crew and somehow remains in contact with Ben. Seeing as how Ben doesn't have a very hard time using people for whatever he wants it's not too far fetched of a thing for him to pull off.
This isn't really a spoiler since it just a wild guess on my part. Could be someone entirely different.