Completely agreed. I had meister on my Smithing mule a year ago, and took a 4 month hiatus. Couldn't be bothered to do it again due to any vacations I may take.
If they're so insistent on keeping decay, then how about this: make it that you can lock your mastery, but you cannot craft anything while it is locked.
...Or just remove it.
The in-game rationale is that you basically start forgetting what you've learned how to make from not making it. I don't remember the last time I forgot how to cook meals, drive a car, or play this game because I didn't for a day. It's an irrational, pitiful, grimy way of keeping people playing and for the benefit of all of Mapledom needs the boot.
Losing mastery after 24 hours and decaying from Meister to Craftsman to Lv 10 makes about as much sense as losing EXP because you don't hunt monsters for a day. This is an obnoxious feature that really needs to go.
I recently turned in the Mr Lee Airlines quest for the gyrocopter mount and now I am unable to return to the island. The NPC says I can return daily but I can't find a way back.