From the front seat of my brother’s SUV, I smelled the faintest whiff of scorched metal but paid little heed—until, that is, we reached the launch-ramp parking lot, got out, and saw the sizzling-hot ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. Virtually every time we go boating, the day is marred by unpleasant experiences on the boat ramp.