Drone shoot : Fort Sao Jago Da Mina By Michael Kunke

Fort Coenraadsburg or Conraadsburg, also Fort Sao Jago da Mina, is a fort on the Dutch Gold Coast, built in 1652 to protect Fort Elmina from attacks.

It was built on the site of a fortified chapel that the Portuguese had built and that the Dutch had burned to the ground in the Battle of Elmina (1637). The Dutch ceded the fort to Britain in 1872, together with the entire Dutch Gold Coast.

Wikipedia
Fort St Jago is known to the indigenes as ‘Sinsowdo”, from afar I was impressed with the majestic look of the fort standing firmly up on the hill. It has a commanding look over the Elmina township and visible from almost every corner of the ancient town. The climb up the sloppy hill demands some energy to complete. At first glance it looks like you can stride it over with ease but don’t be deceived. I would advise you take an occasional pause to look back and take in the view of the town as the horizon over the Atlantic keeps stretching.

The fort also serves as the residence of some locals whom am sure work for the museums board. The structure is quite strong considering the age of the building. I was however disappointed when I went round the rooms. Due to the damp nature of the environment the white walls were gradually turning green and the rooms were all empty. Some replica of the furniture used back in the days when it was occupied would breath some life into it and make the tour more interesting.

The western corner of the structure is however closed to the public due to the weak nature of that part, a peep inside revealed a caving roof and looks more like a permanent abode for bats. The view from the the fort is truly breath taking.

Visiting the fort is a must if you happen to be in Edina [Elmina], so after going to the castle tell your tour guide that you want to visit the fort or you will miss out.

Droning
Droning [#3drsolo, #fly3dr] here can be a little challenging if you’re a beginner most especially when the winds are at full blast. All the same it’s quite interesting flying around the fort to get the best shots. Due to the thick nature of the walls don’t try going low into the fort whiles standing behind the walls you will loose radio contact.

I advise you do low flights and go slow to take in the scene as you fly past the various angles. For the video that I did I used one MPCC for the open shot and one orbit. The rest was manual flight. I prefer to do more of manual flying though the smart shots are great to use they do really come in handy and it saves the day.

Enjoy this visuals by Michael Kunke