diff --git a/internal/cmd/rig.go b/internal/cmd/rig.go
index 7c7fd5fe..fb1d68cc 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/rig.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/rig.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ This creates a rig container with:
   - plugins/              Rig-level plugin directory
   - refinery/rig/         Canonical main clone
   - mayor/rig/            Mayor's working clone
-  - crew/max/             Default human workspace
+  - crew/                 Empty crew directory (add members with 'gt crew add')
   - witness/              Witness agent directory
   - polecats/             Worker directory (empty)
 
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ Examples:
 // Flags
 var (
 	rigAddPrefix       string
-	rigAddCrew         string
 	rigResetHandoff    bool
 	rigResetMail       bool
 	rigResetStale      bool
@@ -176,7 +175,6 @@ func init() {
 	rigCmd.AddCommand(rigShutdownCmd)
 
 	rigAddCmd.Flags().StringVar(&rigAddPrefix, "prefix", "", "Beads issue prefix (default: derived from name)")
-	rigAddCmd.Flags().StringVar(&rigAddCrew, "crew", "", "Crew workspace name (default: from town config or 'max')")
 
 	rigResetCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&rigResetHandoff, "handoff", false, "Clear handoff content")
 	rigResetCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&rigResetMail, "mail", false, "Clear stale mail messages")
@@ -200,18 +198,6 @@ func runRigAdd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Resolve crew name: --crew flag > town config > default constant
-	crewName := rigAddCrew
-	if crewName == "" {
-		// Try loading MayorConfig for default_crew_name
-		mayorConfigPath := filepath.Join(townRoot, "mayor", "config.json")
-		if mayorCfg, err := config.LoadMayorConfig(mayorConfigPath); err == nil && mayorCfg.DefaultCrewName != "" {
-			crewName = mayorCfg.DefaultCrewName
-		} else {
-			crewName = config.DefaultCrewName
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Load rigs config
 	rigsPath := filepath.Join(townRoot, "mayor", "rigs.json")
 	rigsConfig, err := config.LoadRigsConfig(rigsPath)
@@ -237,7 +223,6 @@ func runRigAdd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		Name:        name,
 		GitURL:      gitURL,
 		BeadsPrefix: rigAddPrefix,
-		CrewName:    crewName,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("adding rig: %w", err)
@@ -277,13 +262,13 @@ func runRigAdd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fmt.Printf("  ├── plugins/          (rig-level plugins)\n")
 	fmt.Printf("  ├── mayor/rig/        (clone: %s)\n", defaultBranch)
 	fmt.Printf("  ├── refinery/rig/     (worktree: %s, sees polecat branches)\n", defaultBranch)
-	fmt.Printf("  ├── crew/%s/        (your workspace)\n", crewName)
+	fmt.Printf("  ├── crew/             (empty - add crew with 'gt crew add')\n")
 	fmt.Printf("  ├── witness/\n")
 	fmt.Printf("  └── polecats/\n")
 
 	fmt.Printf("\nNext steps:\n")
-	fmt.Printf("  cd %s/crew/%s    # Work in your clone\n", filepath.Join(townRoot, name), crewName)
-	fmt.Printf("  bd ready                 # See available work\n")
+	fmt.Printf("  gt crew add <name> %s   # Create your workspace\n", name)
+	fmt.Printf("  cd %s/crew/<name>       # Work in your clone\n", filepath.Join(townRoot, name))
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/rig/manager.go b/internal/rig/manager.go
index b5d88136..e355af8a 100644
--- a/internal/rig/manager.go
+++ b/internal/rig/manager.go
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ type AddRigOptions struct {
 	Name        string // Rig name (directory name)
 	GitURL      string // Repository URL
 	BeadsPrefix string // Beads issue prefix (defaults to derived from name)
-	CrewName    string // Default crew workspace name (defaults to "main")
 }
 
 // AddRig creates a new rig as a container with clones for each agent.
@@ -186,9 +185,6 @@ func (m *Manager) AddRig(opts AddRigOptions) (*Rig, error) {
 	if opts.BeadsPrefix == "" {
 		opts.BeadsPrefix = deriveBeadsPrefix(opts.Name)
 	}
-	if opts.CrewName == "" {
-		opts.CrewName = "main"
-	}
 
 	// Create container directory
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(rigPath, 0755); err != nil {
@@ -271,17 +267,32 @@ func (m *Manager) AddRig(opts AddRigOptions) (*Rig, error) {
 		fmt.Printf("  Warning: Could not create refinery hooks: %v\n", err)
 	}
 
-	// Clone repository for default crew workspace
-	crewPath := filepath.Join(rigPath, "crew", opts.CrewName)
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(crewPath), 0755); err != nil {
+	// Create empty crew directory with README (crew members added via gt crew add)
+	crewPath := filepath.Join(rigPath, "crew")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(crewPath, 0755); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating crew dir: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := m.git.Clone(opts.GitURL, crewPath); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cloning for crew: %w", err)
-	}
-	// Create crew CLAUDE.md (overrides any from cloned repo)
-	if err := m.createRoleCLAUDEmd(crewPath, "crew", opts.Name, opts.CrewName); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating crew CLAUDE.md: %w", err)
+	// Create README with instructions
+	readmePath := filepath.Join(crewPath, "README.md")
+	readmeContent := `# Crew Directory
+
+This directory contains crew worker workspaces.
+
+## Adding a Crew Member
+
+` + "```bash" + `
+gt crew add <name>    # Creates crew/<name>/ with a git clone
+` + "```" + `
+
+## Crew vs Polecats
+
+- **Crew**: Persistent, user-managed workspaces (never auto-garbage-collected)
+- **Polecats**: Transient, witness-managed workers (cleaned up after work completes)
+
+Use crew for your own workspace. Polecats are for batch work dispatch.
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(readmePath, []byte(readmeContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating crew README: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Create witness directory (no clone needed)