Pirates rowing away from their target

The pirate monkeys appear and keep away from my boat after i use a hostile flare.

And it seems a kind man optimized the code but inadvertently introduced a bug

Solution:

function Boatcrew:GetHeadingNormal()
    local pt = nil
    local boatpt = self.inst:GetPosition()

    if self.target then
        if self.status == "retreat" and self:areAllCrewOnBoat() then
            local x, _, z = self.target.Transform:GetWorldPosition()
            local heading = self.inst:GetAngleToPoint(x, 0, z) * DEGREES
            pt = boatpt + Vector3(math.cos(heading), 0, -math.sin(heading))
            pt.y = 0
        else
            pt = self.target:GetPosition()

            if self.target.components.boatphysics then
                local scaler = Remap(distsq(pt.x, pt.z, boatpt.x, boatpt.z), 0, 100, 0, 1)
                pt.x  = pt.x + (self.target.components.boatphysics.velocity_x * scaler)
                pt.z  = pt.z + (self.target.components.boatphysics.velocity_z * scaler)
            end
        end

    elseif self.heading then
        local heading = self.heading * DEGREES
        pt = boatpt + Vector3(math.cos(heading), 0, -math.sin(heading))
        pt.y = 0
    end

    return (pt ~= nil and VecUtil_Normalize(pt.x - boatpt.x, pt.z - boatpt.z)) or nil
    --- only get one return value in this way XD --
    --- HERE'S THE FIX -----
    -- if pt ~= nil then
    --     return VecUtil_Normalize(pt.x - boatpt.x, pt.z - boatpt.z)
    -- end
end