[pdqaltair]

I think there may have been some confusion. SD surely meant that the cam cleat would be on the tail of the line, with the line on a winch (assuming it was not a tackle - one or the other). In that manner, there is not an unsafe load on the cam; no more than if you were hand-tailing.

My winches have self-tailers, but when it's blowing they are too slow to release. You could remove the rope from the tailer and release them with the jammer; that makes even less sense. My usual arraignment is this:

Note: the jammer is between the load and the winch, the cam cleat is between the winch and the sailor.

* if the wind is light and I am cruising, jammer off, sheet in the tailer.
* if the wind is moderate and I am cruising, jammer might be on, sheet in the tailer.
* if the wind is up, jammer off, sheet in the cleat. Pay attention.
* if I am tacking or trimming a lot, jammer off, sheet in the cleat.
In all cases, there are 2-4 turns on the winch, as needed for control.

As for forgetting to put turns on the winch... well, without using a jammer that would be cute. As for releasing a sail with a jammer, I'd need a reason. In light winds, the jammer wouldn't be in use.

I never use the jammer to release a line. If it is in the jammer and under load, unload the tailer, give the winch a small turn, and let it slip on the drum.