This is a huge problem and one I hope soon gets fixed.
I'm a casual player. i get maybe 2 hours a day if that. I work and have kids and a family.. so if I jump in the game, level up to get mats to build a raft, I should be able to log off, eat dinner, play with my kids, hang out with my wife, sleep well, go to work the next day then log back in and have my raft. But nope. As it is... I need to build a raft, log out. do the bedtime things with wife/kids then log back in to repair said raft then go to bed. Wake up 7 hours later to log back in to repair my raft and then head to work. I need to now work through my lunch so that i get my 8 hours in to rush home in hopes that my raft hasn't decayed in that 8 hours just to repair it again, stock up on food and try to sail out of the zone.
It shouldn't be this way.