Brian,
There 2 wood pieces in there now.
The one with the hole is to get the RuleMate 500 down flat in the bilge and secure. The most water that will ever be in there is 2-1/8" right there. The other platform is for the RuleMate 2000 (just in case) and the Shurflo ProBlaster washdown pump where it is self-priming below the waterline.
The Shurflo pumps to the console where it gets married to to a HoseCoil 15' with flush mount in the console. The through hull fitting is in the transom (the old live well fitting) and is the the only below-the-waterline fitting on the boat other than the drain plug.
The bilge gets another coat of industrial enamel before moving on...
Otto