On one of the tankers I sailed on, we had a problem with the fresh water evaporator when discharging in Lagos, so filled the forepeak potable water tank with fresh water for the ballast passage to Capetown.
The water tasted dreadful but we put it down to the fact it had come from Nigeria. The taste got progressively worse, so on arrival at Capetown pumped the water overboard and despatched an AB with a firehose into the tank to swill it out.
On entering the tank he immediately spotted the problem - the decaying bodies of two stowaways.
