Something that I see time and time again posted by many players is, "Mist is dead due to the boat ride." I would like to disagree with this statement. I think that if you cannot handle waiting three minutes, (yes; three minutes because it used to be five), you are a chicken. I think you do not deserve to play in Mist. I think what actually is happening is that you're chickening out of waiting a three minute ride that you pay for and it's the most contradictory hypocritical argument I've ever seen Nin players make.
Unfortunately, even I am guilty of this; until I woke up and realized that it simply doesn't make sense to complain about the boat ride when we have an eight minute battle injury debuff that directly halves our stats and arguably actually does make the game unplayable compared to a three minute ride that gives you tools, blanks, and fish. You not only make the ryo back, but you're in a completely safe zone that you have definitely abused in the past in order to escape 10 player zergs. The boat ride isn't your enemy, you're your own enemy.
On top of that, by the time you run all the way to the boat, and by the time you get off the boat your battle injuries should be done or at least on 30-100 depending on how fast you move. The boat ride is a highly underappreciated mechanic that has saved YOUR life and mine more than once. So why hate on it? I don't think missing blessing time is an excuse; given that a lot of you miss blessings all day every day whenever you're not on Nin Online.
Even if you were to run from Tanzaku to Sand or Takumi, or even from Leaf to Takumi it's the same exact amount of time as running from Mist to Asoki via Kraken.
If you can't handle the Mist Boat, you have a poor work ethic and you're a chicken. Simple. It's time to stop complaining and start playing, and if you think the Boat Ride is too tough you're a chicken.